No Longer Alone
by VonPelt
Summary: Unable to clear his name, Sirius asked his cousin Andromeda to take care of Harry. This turns out to be the best decision Sirius has ever made.
1. Padfoot's Plan

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was usually a lively place where hundreds of students buzzed around, enjoying their meals or chatted with friends from other houses. Some visited late in the evenings to admire the spellwork of the enchanted ceiling which showed the stars far better than any Astronomy lesson could hope to do. Others met there to do some school work without Madam Prince breathing down their necks about the tiniest bit of noise. But on the last morning of the year, the huge room was deserted. Only a few students were up already since most preferred to sleep in and feast on sweets brought from the Lunch Trolley aboard the Hogwarts Express.

"I knew that I'd find you down here."

"Am I that obvious?" Harry asked as Katie Bell sat down next to him and helped herself to a bowl of oatmeal.

"You didn't have the best year..."

"It was shite. First Ron and Hermione fight over that _rat_ , then there's that fuck-up with Sirius. I get attacked by dementors, fall two hundred feet and next thing I know, Hermione gets my Christmas present confiscated by McGonagall and even though she was right that Sirius sent it, it still hurt. Then Ron tries to pull me into their stupid argument while Hermione overworks herself to the point where she'd snap at everyone. But it gets even better, when we learn that the man who supposedly betrayed my parents had spent a decade in Azkaban while the real traitor was sleeping in my dorm for three years and we happen to walk into their confrontation because we were out to pass the quaffle around above the Black Lake. Then..."

Harry's ramblings were cut short when Katie leaned in and gave him a sideways hug. He tensed at first, but quickly deflated and let his head hang low.

"Why can't things be easy for once?"

The chaser knew no answer to that question but only squeezed him again. "You know, I can just visit you over the summer. And if things really get bad just tell your relatives that the crazy mass murderer broke out to avenge your parents and now that he's done, he might just drop by one evening and off them if things aren't good."

"You know," Harry began, a smile tugging on his lips for the first time that morning. "The funny part is that Sirius probably would love to do just that. He didn't say much, but his childhood didn't sound nice at all, probably far worse than what I have to endure."

"Shame that he didn't find any place where you could live together. Even a hovel sounds better than Privet Drive..."

"Shame that the dementors decided to gatecrash our party and kiss Pettigrew."

"Touche."

"Well, at least Leanne thought of using our brooms to get away."

"I was about to suggest the same thing, you were the one who tried to outrun them on foot."

"I had Patronus lessons from Professor Lupin," Harry pointed out, but Katie's retort made that protest die a quick death.

"And how often have you successfully cast that spell?"

"Well, there was the one time where I hit Malfoy and Flint..."

"But that was without the dementors sucking all happiness from you."

"Fair point."

"You know, I could always dress up as mad witch, show up at your place and scare your relatives with a couple of Zonko products."

"Katie, please don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look intimidating at all."

"Trust me, you haven't seen me mad yet," the witch pouted in an adorable way, unconsciously proving herself wrong.

"Sorry, not all of us can be, how did Miller call it, an ice cold bitch whenever they want."

"Oi, I turn that jerk down once and suddenly I have that nickname. Honestly, I can't wait till I am a prefect next year so that he can spend his free time scrubbing toilets with Filch's toothbrush instead of giving me the creeps. Besides, you are the boy-who-lived so you better shut up about stupid nicknames," she retorted with mock anger.

"You are awfully confident that you get the badge."

"Being the only girl in Gryffindor's fourth year has its advantages."

"Maybe Leanne will get it."

"Well, technically she is still a badger even though she spends more time with us than with her own house."

"I mean, if even the house elves put a bed for her in your dorm, maybe that will be enough for McGonagall to give her the position."

"Oh come on, we only have sleepovers on the weekends. Oh, and on Thursdays after our astronomy practicals," she objected with another feigned glare.

"Still, I don't see your bed in the Hufflepuff cellar."

"That's because they still have that stupid no visitor rule. You know the one that made Leanne spent most of her time in our tower in the first place."

"And McGonagall only allows her because she is earning points for Gryffindor," Harry joked.

"Actually, that only happens if she's wearing one of my ties. Somehow they are linked to your house affinity and colour your robes. And since they are keyed to me, she earns us a lot of points. Of course, she could simply remember to bring her own tie."

"But where's the fun in that?" a new voice asked cheerfully, making Katie jump and nearly fall off the bench.

"Honestly Lea, sometimes I think that you are doing that on purpose."

"What, messing with the house points? Of course I do that on purpose. Stupid Badgers, have to keep our common room hidden from everyone else," Leanne pouted. Looking at her, Harry noticed that she had straightened her curly black hair again so that it nicely framed her face.

"Harry here think that McGonagall will make you the new Gryffindor girl prefect."

"How did you find out?" Leanne asked conspiratorially and Harry had to applaud her acting skill. There was no hint of surprise or mischief in her expression. Katie could only gape at her friend open-mouthed. Her surprised expression only lasted a few seconds because a small fluffy ball slammed into her face before bouncing back towards the table where it came to a halt in front of Harry. The wizard then realised that it was, in fact, a tiny grey owl with a note attached to its leg and not a mould-covered meatball someone banished through the Great Hall.

After a bit of fumbling, he held a small, blank note in his hand. It took a moment for the Knut to drop but then Harry drew his wand and looked around the Gryffindor table. Besides the two girls who eyed him with curiosity and no small amount of suspicion, no one else was nearby.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry intoned, tapping the parchment with the wand. As expected thin lines appeared as the blank note unfolded itself.

"Well, what does it say?"

"I could tell you... If you actually give me time to read it."

* * *

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I arranged that my niece Nymphadora Tonks will pick you up at King's Cross. Funnily enough, she's actually an Auror, so you have an Auror helping you to break the law so that the law is upheld. Funny how that works out sometimes. And I guarantee you that you will see quite a lot of her over the summer._

 _In case someone intercepts this and tries to set you up ask her who sent her. The correct answer is my Marauder name._ _There's a lot more going on but I wouldn't trust a letter to keep secrets. Some things just don't add up._

 _Snuffles_

 _PS: Say Hi to the girls from me._

* * *

Harry read the note and then read it again. He wasn't exactly certain what to make out of this. On the one hand, any place had to be better than Privet Drive and his godfather kept his word about getting him away from Privet Drive, which was a first. But he wanted to spend time with Sirius, not just some relatives he had not even heard of before. And the letter almost sounded like his godfather was trying to set him up with that Nymphadora woman.

"So?"

"Seriously Lea, how can you be this impatient and still ace potions?"

"Potions does not require patience. You have no idle time unless you brew something like Polyjuice or Wolfsbane. What we do is nothing but cooking with disgusting ingredients which lead to magical results, pun not intended," Leanne replied to Katie's question. She couldn't understand why anyone would have a problem with Potions. To the Muggleborn the subject came naturally, the same way Harry was able to pull death-defying stunts on his broom without breaking a sweat. Yet the playful banter painfully reminded him that over the last term, Ron, Hermione and he had grown apart when the seeker had decided to stay out of their fights. Well, maybe all they needed was some time to realise what they were missing and things would go back to normal in September.

"Snape would kill you for that comment."

"But he's not here right now."

"Girls please," Harry interrupted before the two friends could continue their antics. "A certain Padfoot sends his regards."

"What else does he say?" Katie wanted to know.

"Someone will pick me up at King's Cross. He also says that more than one thing does not add up and that I should be careful."

"You mean like the fact that he spent the last decade in Azkaban without even as much as a trial and when we point that out we are ignored?"

"He didn't go into details but I guess that is part of the issue."

"I am still surprised that no one bothered with that," Leanne threw in.

"Remember, we are just a bunch of scared, confunded kids who just had a traumatizing experience," he quoted what the Minister and Snape had come up with when the teachers decided to humour their story about Pettigrew and the dementors.

"Yes, because the word of a confessed murderer is much better," the Hufflepuff said with dripping sarcasm. Of all people whom Harry told about Snape's past, the muggle-born witch took it the worst. She had already loathed the Head of Slytherin for what he did to her favourite class, but after finding out that he willingly joined the pureblood cause, her disdain reached new levels. Reading about all his crimes in the archived Daily Prophet certainly didn't help. If anything, knowing that their Professor used to be part of a terrorist group working to kill people like her gave her another reason to hate him.

"You know, technically all Death Eaters are committing treason because they try to usurp the Queen. So we could go back to having them hanged, drawn and quartered," she only half-joked.

"It would be poetic justice," Harry sighed. "Snape always says that he would render us dunderheads into potion ingredients so having him publicly disembowelled sounds good."

"I don't want to stop your fun but don't you think that we have more pressing issues? Besides, you can always throw the greasy git into the Acromantula colony in the forest. Would be much cleaner that way," Katie suggested. Upon seeing the gleam in their eyes she shuddered and felt the need to clarify. "That was a joke."

"A girl can dream," Leanne replied, sounding deep in thought as she once more fantasised about Severus Snape, or at least his very painful death.

"So, what pressing matters do we have to discuss?" Harry wanted to know.

"Well, there's the Quidditch World Cup this summer and they are drawing the groups next weekend. Also, now that we know that you will not be imprisoned this summer we could do something together. Like watching a movie, or teaching you everything you need to know about the World Cup."

"Well, I'd love. But I don't know in which part of Britain I will end up so it might be tricky to get to Manchester."

"Harry, you are a wizard. There's the Floo network and you already used the Knights Bus. Getting from A to B is not difficult with magic. Worst case my parents can apparate you."

"I haven't thought about that," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"That much is obvious. You're usually not the one who thinks," Leanne quipped.

"Oi, I resent that. I am better at Charms than you."

"Waving a wand around and making stuff happen does not make you are smart."

"Someone sounds bitter," Katie pointed out.

"He is a year behind us and still beats me in Charms and both of us in Defence. That's not fair," the black haired girl hissed.

"Don't worry, you will always beat me in Potions. Me and everyone else in our years," Harry replied. Hermione might have the better memory, but she lacked the instinctive understanding of how ingredients reacted with each other that went beyond recalling facts. At least in Potions.

"The Express leaves in two hours and forty-seven minutes. How about we go for a last fly across the grounds?" Katie suggested after glancing at her watch.

"But breakfast is served and I am not done yet!"

"You can still eat while we get our brooms. Your dorm is way closer than ours. Besides, it's the last time we can fly for the next two months."

"You said the same thing yesterday evening. And two days ago too," Leanne pointed out.

"And you did not complain either time. Besides, if you are hungry on the train Harry will be happy to buy you a snack," Katie said while doing her best to give him a seductive look. Harry only shook his head at this overly dramatic exaggeration, but he had to agree that flying was not a bad idea. The seeker had been surprised that he was not the only one who enjoyed simply flying over Quidditch, with its countless rules and the moving obstacles called other players. With that in mind, he did not protest when Katie took his arm and dragged him off towards the Gryffindor tower.


	2. Kings Cross

The train ride to London had been uneventful. Malfoy made his obligatory appearance only to end up outwitted and humiliated again, the Weasleys twins came around to showcase some of their inventions and Neville had to search the train for Trevor once more. Harry said goodbyes to his friends, played one last game of wizard chess with Ron and left Hermione a note since she spent the trip to London in Morpheus' realm. The brunette looked like she was in dire need of sleep and he didn't want to wake her only to get yelled at again.

It was a nervous teenager who stepped out of the fourth carriage at King's Cross and into the loud crowd at Platform 9 3/4. Leanne had hugged him before running off towards St. Pancras Station to catch a train home, leaving him to his thoughts. If everything went well he'd be free from the Dursleys forever. But if things went wrong he'd be stranded alone in the middle of London. While he had enough money in the magical world he doubted that he could spend the summer holidays at the Leaky Cauldron without anyone forcing him back to Privet Drive, for his own protection of course. He was not even sure where this "Nymphadora" was waiting for him or how she looked. Should he wait in the train? At the Platform? Or maybe in the reception hall?

However, before Harry could make three steps towards the barrier, his brunette friend grabbing his arm and manhandled him through the crowd until she found her parents. Said parents immediately drew her into a threeway hug, leaving him standing awkwardly next to the reunited family.

"Mum, dad, this is my friend Harry Potter. Harry, this is my mother Melissa and my father Alan," Katie introduced after she untangled herself from the three-way embrace.

"So, any particular reason my daughter was 'oldin' your 'and?" Mr Bell, a tall, balding man asked and tried his best not to sound curious. He was around fifty and his thin brown hair was complemented by a dark moustache.

"I prefer being dragged around by my arm instead of my ear," Harry replied, completely missing the question Alan wanted to be answered but the man snorted nonetheless.

"So I take that there won't be any surprises in nine months."

"Behave yourself," Melissa chided her husband after rolling her eyes at his weak attempt at humour. It was obvious to Harry that Katie did not get her looks from her mother. Instead of brunette, the woman had curly blonde hair falling down past her wide shoulder and Harry noticed that she was someone he did not want to mess with, no matter how friendly she seemed. While Katie was slender her mother was rather bulky and definitely intimidating. Mrs Bell was by no means ugly, but she looked more like a boxer than like a lady of the high society.

"Katie has mentioned you in her letters a couple times Mister Potter," the blonde said nonchalantly and yet sounding harsh while she watched her daughter match her face to the scarlet train behind her.

"Harry please," he quickly interjected once more missing the byplay.

"Where's Leanne? I thought she wanted to talk to us abao' the summer," Mr Bell asked, ignoring his wife's attempts at prying for information.

"She had to run to because the Express was delayed. And if she misses this one, her next train won't leave for another hour."

"I could 'ave taken 'er 'ome. It's not even one 'undred miles to Rochester from here."

"That's what I told her but she didn't want to impose."

"It's almost as if she wants to - "

"Mister Potter," a new voice interrupted and four heads turned towards a woman in her mid-forties, wearing a bronze robe. Her heart-shaped face was surrounded by black hair tied held back by a golden headband. She had the same "no-nonsense" attitude which Professor McGonagall seemed to radiate and piercing blue eyes gave an icy stare to everyone around them.

"Good evening, I am Auror Tonks and I need to ask you some questions regarding the demise of Peter Pettigrew," the woman announced. Harry immediately recognised her last name and felt relief wash over him. This witch could be his ticket to freedom if everything went alright. Maybe his summer would be free of the Dursleys after all.

"Pettigrew? I thought 'e died twelve years ago. Got' imself blown into tiny pieces or somethin' like that," Mr Bell said with visible confusion.

"Mr Bell I presume? There was an incident at Hogwarts on the Second of June where Mr Pettigrew was found on the grounds alive but missing his soul, the Dark Mark visible on his forearm. Your daughter was one of three students who claim that prior to his demise Mr Pettigrew confessed the crimes Sirius Black is accused of committing. Mr Potter was another student present," the Auror reported.

"Accused of committing? Black spent twelve years in Azkaban," the man hissed. "Now you 'ave noticed that 'e migh' be innocent? After all those years?"

"According to the Department of Records, there has never been a trial for Mr Black. The forensic evidence contradicts the official story rather clearly. However, the Minister and the Chief Warlock are not concerned about this. According to them if the previous Minister did throw him into Azkaban then he belongs there. Head Auror Hammer did not agree with this assessment and began her own investigation after taking over from former Head Auror Scrimgeour, who was demoted due to lack of success during the search for Sirius Black. Therefore I need to ask Mr Potter some questions about the incident at Hogwarts. If there are any questions afterwards your daughter may be invited to the Auror office to answer some questions as well," she summarised slightly breathless.

"So this man could be innocent and yet you and your department still tries to have 'im kissed?" Mr Bell asked with his voice raised.

"The dementors answer to the Office of the Minister and not to the DMLE. I am just an Auror doing my job. Even if I was convinced of Mr Black's innocence, there is little I can do when our Minister and Chief Warlock agree that he should be put into chains, if not outright kissed," Tonks said defensively.

"This is an outrage," the older man spat while Katie stepped forward and pulled Harry into a tight, but not bone breaking hug. Mr Bell abandoned his verbal attacks in favour of watching his daughter

"Write me once you're settled, will you?" she whispered and patted his back.

"Sure, but it might take a while. See you soon."

"Bye Harry," the brunette said as she broke the hug. Both teenagers missed the knowing looks the Bells exchanged. There would be questions once they got home, some concerning her involvement with the Pettigrew business and others about the boy that was her friend.

* * *

While the group of three headed towards the exit, Harry followed the Auror to an empty waiting room at the far end of the concealed platform. He watched silently as the witch closed the blinds and cast several spells on the walls and door of the plain room. Dark yellow tiles were covering the floor while the beige paint was already falling from the walls. A couple of wooden benches far beyond their prime were standing in the middle of the room, providing an uncomfortable opportunity to sit down. For some reason, the smell of old paper lingered in the air.

"Alright Harry, let's get more comfortable," she said, winked and within seconds looked twenty years younger. All wrinkles had disappeared from her face, her hair shortened to a pixie cut, became bubblegum pink and, with a tap of her wand, the robe was replaced by a tight red tank top and black hotpants.

"Wicked," Harry commented before he could stop himself. The Auror only responded by chuckling which turned into a high pitched giggle when she noticed the effect her outfit had on the teenage mind.

"How did you do that?" he wanted to know red-faced, tearing his eyes away from the low neckline.

"I'm a metamorphmagus, I can change my appearance at will, well at least in theory. Emotions don't mix well with this ability. I'm Nymphadora Tonks by the way, but please, for the love of Merlin, do not use my first name. Tonks s fine," she explained.

"Well, I'm Harry," he said awkwardly before remembering the question he was supposed to ask. "Who sent you?"

"Padfoot."

"Great. Uhm, what do we do now?" Harry asked and Tonks sniggered.

"I thought you knew what to do if you are alone with a pretty girl away from everyone. Although I have to admit that this beats the old Hogwarts broom closets," she teased and Harry blushed even more. The witch only laughed at his misery.

"Not fair."

"Awww, come on, a girl has to have fun sometimes. You know, your blush is kinda cute. You're not really my type, but if you were a couple years older, I'd not say no to a date."

"Have, will, I, no," Harry stuttered after he finished imitating a fish. "Is this how the Aurors handle investigations?"

"Well, the Head Auror 's called Hammer so take your guess," she replied, what caused Harry to laugh for once instead of being thoroughly embarrassed.

"Alright, business first, plenty of time for jokes later. The interview might be our cover story here, but Hammer really wants to know what happened at Hogwarts and since Sirius can't simply walk into the ministry to testify, that only leaves you and the girls. In case your story has any holes I'll have to grill them later. Understood that?"

"So I just have to answer some questions?" Harry wanted to know. _It couldn't be that easy, right?_

"Got that right. Since this is not an official investigation there will be no legal consequences from your actions. Any crime that you mention will be investigated but in case no evidence is found your words will not lead to a conviction. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Harry answered and immediately felt relieved. There wouldn't be any trouble from this interview. He sat down on one of the old benches and was surprised at how soft it felt. The Auror winked and tucked her wand away, which probably meant that she used some sort of cushioning charm.

"So in your own words, describe the events of the Second of June 1994. How did you meet Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew?" Tonks asked while a notebook flew out of her robe together with a blue quill that immediately began scribbling on the paper.

So Harry once again recounted how he and the girls came across Sirius, the confrontation with Pettigrew and their subsequent escape outlying the dementors. Unlike the other adults, the Auror seemed to actually listen what he was saying as her quill danced across the notepad. However, she also kept interrupting to ask dozens of questions, which quickly began to annoy him. Tonks didn't seem to search for holes in his story but was it really that important to know how fat Pettigrew was?

"So you condemned a man to the kiss?" Tonks wanted to know and her question would have seemed hostile if not for her calm and friendly tone. This whole interview was getting rather strange and confusing. The sooner it was over, the better.

"Well, it was him or us, and if the Ministry can't keep its dementors away from a school full of children, accidents were bound to happen. After all, the Ministry guards also caused me to lose an expensive broom," Harry answered only not to answer the question.

"Alright, that concludes the interview," Tonks said and the notepad flew towards her wrist and disappeared.

"Where did it go?"

The Auror did not reply but simply jerked her hand back and the notepad appeared before vanishing again.

"Wicked."

"I know, right? Auror grade wand holsters are awesome but most people don't realise that you can use them to store other small things. Alastor showed me that one and 's bloody useful."

"Where can I buy one of those?"

"Well, the Ministry has a strict policy regarding them so it is unlikely that you'll find one in Diagon Alley," the Auror said and paused for a moment, a glint of mischief in her purple eyes. "Of course I could simply request a new one and give it to you."

"You would do that for me?" Harry asked wide-eyed. Her sudden change from cold and distant to friendly and casual had caught him flat-footed and adults doing nice things for him was also still a novelty.

"Sure, it's not like I have to pay for them and I tend to break mine every couple months. Anyways, I know what happened after you arrived in Hogwarts. Sirius told me that much."

"You spoke with Sirius?"

"Of course. Why do you think I'm here?"

"But - the interview?" Harry pointed out stuttering. Had everything just been a prank? Would he have to go back to Surrey? Was Tonks even a real Auror?

"Well, I couldn't write a report that Britain's most wanted man was having tea with my mum when I came home. Imagine how much paperwork that would cause, " the young Auror groaned shivering.

"So, what's the plan from now on?"

"Well, we need to get you home but I don't have a car here, not that I'd want to drive through London at this time of the day."

"You can drive?"

"In theory. I learned to drive during a vacation on the continent with a couple of friends and now our side of the road seems wrong to me. But no, we will not be driving. There's a train leaving for Letchworth Garden City in a few minutes on platform 11. You will take it to Potters Bar. That should be easy enough to remember," Tonks smirked.

"Are you serious? Potters Bar?"

"No Sirius is my uncle. I'm Tonks. But there's really a town called Potters Bar. While you are on the train I will make sure your baggage is clear of any tracking or eavesdropping spells. There's an exit towards the normal station through that door," the Auror explained and pointed at a brown painted metal door behind her. "Staff only" was written on a yellow plaque in the middle of it.

"So I just walk out and take the train?" Harry clarified.

"Well, I'll charm you so you'll look different and you shall have my invisibility cloak as a backup but besides that, yeah. Potters Bar is about twenty minutes from here but the trains are full of kids returning for the summer hols so it will most likely take thirty. You'll have something to read for the way. Once you get to Potters Bar, I'll meet you at the station and take you home. I think that's everything you need to know. Any questions?" she summarised cheerfully.

"Why all the security? Are you worried about Pettigrew? I thought he was - "

"This 's not about Pettigrew. How you ended up with your relatives was very fishy, but I don't want to talk about it here so let's just say once you are in our home for seventy-two hours, we can legally claim your guardianship. That's why we need to hide you for the near future."

"How does that work?" Harry asked. He figured out that there was more to it than simply staying at a house for some time.

"There's an old law that states that any family member could claim guardianship of a child not in the care of his family if he or she stays with them for three days. The law 's from 1349 because back then there was no central Ministry but a bunch of different officials who did all the work travelling through the realm, trying to keep things from falling apart. Due to the Black Death, lots of people died, leaving orphans behind with only some distant kin. To save them a lot of work they created these automated laws to reduce their workload. Like a lot of old laws, 's still in the book so we are going to use that to our advantage."

"How do you know that much? I can barely remember enough to pass my history exams," Harry asked in awe.

"Dad is a lawyer so he made sure that I could answer most of the questions you could ask," she grimaced at the thought of additional law lessons. The basic course at the Auror academy had been more than enough for her liking.

"So, ehm, what exactly do I do now?" Harry asked slowly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've never actually been on a train besides the Hogwarts Express - I mean, I've used the tube once with Hagrid but that was more like the blind leading the even blinder - Do I need to pay for it?"

"You've never - ? 'S rather simple. You take this ticket and try not to fall asleep. They announce each station and there's a map above the doors. I think that's all. 'S really just like the Hogwarts Express but without magic," she replied after chewing on her lip for a moment. "Oh, right, mum told me to give you this for the trip."

Harry took a closer look at the offered book. It was a thick red pocketbook with a black title that read "Red Storm Rising". A thin piece of paper was sticking out from between the pages which Harry assumed was his ticket.

"'S been one of dad's favourites for some time but he only recently convinced mum to read it. She devoured it in two days and wouldn't shut up about it. Once she got through this one, she immediately started with the next book from the author. Mum, like Sirius, was raised to look down on everything muggle. And while she never shared that attitude and can find her way around the non-magical world she's still surprised what you can do without magic. So am I to be honest and dad has been taking me to Heathrow since I was six. He's a little enthusiastic when it comes to technology. Not that I'm complaining about the telly, mind you," Tonks babbled with a fond smile. Harry meanwhile grabbed the book and tried to ignore the strange feeling inside his chest.

Was this how a normal family acted? Ron only ever talked about his siblings, mostly complaining about the twins pranking him or how much pressure he was under because Bill, Charlie and Percy were successful and raised the bar. _Perhaps five brothers and a sister could be too much family after all._

At the Burrow, he had felt like he was intruding and had tried his best to stay out of the way. During his stay in Devon, he had been uneasy for a long time because upon their arrival Mrs Weasley had threatened to treat Fred and George like he was treated at Number four. It had taken Harry two weeks to realise that she was either joking or didn't even believe them about the barred windows, much less anything else. Which did not make him feel any better but again, adults had rarely helped him. Perhaps that was the reason he had instantly liked Sirius. The Azkaban escapee had taken his time and really listened to him, which had been a first.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tonks asked softly.

"No, it's alright. Can't be more difficult than fighting a Basilisk, right?"

Harry did not look back and therefore missed the shocked look Tonks gave him. She was well aware of the suspicions and strange events surrounding him and Quirrell at the end of her last year. But a five X creature was something entirely different compared to an incompetent teacher with a stutter. A basilisk was the closest the magical world has gotten to weapons of mass destruction. They could kill hundreds in the blink of an eye. Why would her cousin even joke about fighting one? There would definitely be questions later.

* * *

 **AN:**

Mr Bell's dialect is supposed to be from Manchester but if you try a literal transcription it reads like the author is drunk so I went with a "light" version to keep it somewhat readable.

Tonks remembered Katie from her last year at Hogwarts since a good chaser tends to stand out. She recognised her and concluded the man next to her is most likely her father. This was also her first "solo interview" so she is not yet up to the standards of a senior Auror. Since this is not your usual interview she is basically bullshitting her way through it.

Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising, while an excellent book, is not the ideal lecture for thirteen-year-olds since they would not understand all words used. I try to establish Andromeda as a witch who understands technology but is amazed by it because she knows the difficulties that were overcome. When you grew up with the answer to most of your problems is "just use magic" the many layers of technology and logistics involved in, for example, an airport or even a Tesco would seem extraordinary if you bothered to look.


	3. Tonks Hill

Harry stepped out of the train at Potters Bar and saw that it certainly was nothing special. A metal roof provided some protection from the elements and cold cathode lamps were hanging from its underside. An ugly brown building was the only remarkable parts of the station. Some of the brick buildings surrounding the station had fallen into despair, giving the whole area throughout uninviting vibe. Smog was hanging in the air, the smell of smoke strongly recognisable. The town itself did not look particularly inviting either. It was the same type of settlement with the same houses found everywhere in England and all of them looked perfectly normal. It was the degree of perfection Harry came to detest after growing up with the Dursleys. He was disappointed that his namesake town was so boring, so normal.

After watching the train leave and glancing at the clock, Harry concluded that Tonks had been right. Within a few stops, the train had gotten a significant delay and needed more than an hour for the short trip. Compared to the Hogwarts Express, the suburban train had made a concert of strange noises that probably came from the electric engines. Harry, who previously only experienced the huffing of a steam engine found them slightly unnerving but since everyone else was not concerned he figured out that everything was alright.

Between the usual commuters and the teenagers returning from various boarding schools, the wagon had been packed full but luckily he found his seat early. It had been hard and not entirely clean but it was a seat nonetheless. So while the kids caused a commotion that could rival the after-match parties in Gryffindor, Harry looked into the book that made a pureblood gush about the non-magical world, something he thought only Mr Weasley capable of. It turned out way more interesting than the material assigned at Hogwarts and if he would find some time during the summer maybe he'd continue reading although all the foreign names were really confusing. But first, he had to find Tonks or he would be stuck in a town he shared the name with.

This task turned out to be rather easy since the witch was once more sporting bubblegum pink hair and the same rather revealing outfit Harry last saw her in, slightly covered by a black leather jacket with metal studs all over it. A group of young men near the station building were trying to draw the metamorph's attention but she was casually leaning against a ticket machine at the end of the platform and waved at Harry to come over. As he closed the distance the Auror tapped her wand against one of the roofs grey support beams, which caused a small area to faintly glow yellow.

"Alright squirt, let's get you home," was all the warning he got before Tonks grabbed him into a bear hug. Due to their height difference Harry's face ended up pressed firmly between her breasts but before he could even get embarrassed the world began to spin and twist. The air was forced out of his lungs by a strong pressure seemingly coming from all sides. After what felt like an eternity but probably was only two seconds the unpleasant sensation stopped and Harry tumbled forwards, knocking over the Auror he was leaning onto. At the end of the strange journey, the Gryffindor seeker felt like he just spent the last hour going through Wood's evasion drills and been thoruougly hammered by Bludgers.

With his head still spinning Harry tried to sit up only to lose his balance.

"Ugh, what was that?"

"Side-along apparition. I forgot how unpleasant it was to cross wards this way otherwise I'd have dropped us at the front gate. And the wards didn't like the glamour so they ripped it off as well as the transfiguration on my clothes," Tonks explained before shaking her head clear. Her rather revealing outfit had been replaced by a black hoodie and matching sweatpants.

Only then Harry noticed that he was in fact no longer outside but in a room as large as his Hogwarts dorm. On the far side, a huge fireplace was taking up most of the wall while a tapestry of a red fox on forest green decorated the opposite side.

"Welcome to Tonks Hill," a woman's voice said from behind the duo on the rosewood floor. "Nymphadora, be a dear and let poor Harry go. You don't need to cradle him against your chest anymore."

This statement was rather confusing for him. The speaker sounded like she knew him while Harry was not remembering any previous interaction with the Tonks. And how did that related to being cradled into somebody's chest? Only after a moment of thought, Harry realised that he was still laying on top of the witches' tits and did his best to change this by rolling over to his right. That manoeuvre put him face to face with a tall woman. Dark brown curls cascaded down on both sides of her porcelain-skinned face. Her sharp jawline and the way she carried herself gave the witch an aristocratic appearance. Her dark blue tracksuit, however, completely destroyed that image. A warm smile divided her full lips, revealing immaculate, snow white teeth. Her purple eyes watered slightly as she kept staring at him with an unreadable expression.

"Harry, you probably don't remember me but I'm your aunt, Andromeda. It's been a long time since I last saw you," the witch said tenderly as if she was afraid to break something.

"We've met before?" he asked in confusion. The only aunt he was aware of was Petunia and Dumbledore told him on more than one occasion that he had no further living relatives.

"I babysat you at least a dozen times... You loved Nymphadora's hair to the point where you'd try to grab it every time you got the chance... After that horrible night, I tried to get custody but the judges in the Wizengamot argued that if I couldn't find you, you were safely hidden. I have to admit that I gave up after two years," Andromeda said with both sadness and bitterness leaking into her voice.

"I really don't remember anything before Halloween. And Halloween only due to the dementors," Harry replied meekly.

"Your trunk is in your room upstairs. There's a bathroom across the floor. Nymphadora's room is right across yours. I'll give you the whole tour tomorrow," the older witch abruptly changed the topic.

"My room?"

"Well, you're staying with us for the summer so of course, you get a room. I already put your stuff in there. Or did you expect to sleep in the outhouse?" Tonks joked, oblivious to the reasons why Harry asked.

"Of course you are welcome to come here whenever you want to. We have more than enough rooms," her mother added.

"I… thank you," Harry mumbled, looking on the floor and missing the two witches exchanging worried glances. Those strangers already showed him more kindness in two minutes than the Dursleys did in twelve years.

"Well, how about supper and then we can talk a little?" Andromeda suggested.

"I always wanted to know why you got that many points at the end of my last year," Tonks eagerly threw in.

* * *

Walking through a redwood door and another one made from blackwood Harry found himself in a dining room with enough space for at least ten people. The table in the centre of it however only had four chairs.

Once he was seated Andromeda tapped the dark green tablecloth and countless bowls of food appeared out of thin air, much like at Hogwarts. From salad over baked potatoes and garlic bread up to roast beef and sausages, everything was present. Compared to the meals at Hogwarts or the Burrow, a lot less English food was served. Instead many dishes from what looked like the Mediterranean cuisine were part of the buffet. Harry, who, thanks to the Dursleys, never had tried pasta, eagerly piled some on his plate before realising that this feast was far too much for three people.

"Is someone else coming for dinner?"

"No, mum just likes to cook and dad loves Italian food. She always makes about ten servings and puts them into these bowls. They keep food exactly like it was when you put it in for, well we never tried to find out but at least two years. That way you always can choose what you want. But don't worry, nothing here is older than a week. Uncle Sirius made sure of that," Tonks explained.

"Actually while I like cooking it is not something I'd want to do every day. So I make a large amount once every two weeks and then I'm done with it," Andromeda added.

"Where's Sirius anyways? I thought he'd be here?"

"He's in what's nowadays called Croatia. He was in desperate need of a mind healer after twelve years in Azkaban and another one spent as a dog. Since there are only fourteen certified mind healers in Britain and they all work at St. Mungo's, I had to contact an old acquaintance abroad. It'll take some time to fix him up though. There are not many people who would treat an escaped prisoner, even if you are willing to pay a lot of gold so he has to make do with who is available, not with who is the best."

"Will I see him this summer?" Harry asked. While he did not spend much time with Sirius he still was the first adult who cared about him. And if not for Sirius he'd be slaving at Privet Drive right now.

"Sadly no. He could be back by Christmas but I think Easter or the next summer are better guesses," Andromeda replied sadly. "If it was only some psychological trauma he could visit from time to time or even find someone in Britain, but he suffered brain damage from everything he went through. Dementors are not gentle when they pillage through your brain. Sirius needs to take more than a dozen potions each day and while I'm a certified healer my knowledge about head injuries boils down to detecting them and fetching a mind healer."

"Can we visit?"

"I am not sure. He'll be unconscious for most of the treatment so he might spend the next three months in an induced coma while the potions do their magic," the older witch said, omitting that Croatia was in the middle of a civil war. While the remote Black holiday home Sirius was currently being treated in was safe, the same could not be said for other parts of the country.

The conversation stayed on light topics after that. Tonks told stories about the life in Hufflepuff and their shenanigans but compared to Leanne's narrative there was much more Firewhiskey and fooling around involved. They agreed on one thing, however. The Badgers loved Quidditch and pickup games were played every weekend if the weather allowed it.

"I played on the house team for two years, was chaser during my fourth and beater in my sixth. I'm no natural flyer but it's been enough to win five out of six games. Didn't win the house cup though," the metamorph explained.

"How can you win five out of six and still miss the house cup?" Harry wanted to know.

"We didn't score enough. Winning 160 to 140 does little for your overall standing. And Slytherin loves to prolong games so they can score like mad against the other Houses."

"Oh, makes sense... Why did you leave the team twice?"

"Fifth and seventh are OWL and NEWT years. I like Quidditch and I still played the occasional game but since I wanted to become an Auror, I needed to put some serious effort into it. It's difficult to study if the captain wakes you at 5 am and the practice is not over before noon."

"How is being an Auror?" Harry asked. Hogwarts only offered career advice during the fifth year and he had not grown up in the magical world. Therefore there was little he knew about life after Hogwarts.

"Since I just graduated from the Academy I am stuck with the occasional odd job until September. The Academy, however, was absolutely brutal. Wake-up call at 6, various exercises until noon and then theory until the evening. And then there were Mad Eye's special classes…"

"Who is Mad-Eye?" Harry interrupted.

"Famous Auror. Fled from Czechoslovakia during the early forties and joined the Hit Wizards to fight Grindelwald. Became an Auror afterwards. Got his name from a magical eye after losing his own in '73. Out of 105 Death Eaters sitting in Azkaban, he caught 47. Killed at least twice as much of them but always tried to get the inner circle alive to interrogate them. He retired from active duty in '86 and had been teaching at the Academy until this year."

"Why was he giving special classes?" Harry asked, genuinely curious about the Auror veteran.

"If he saw someone with potential, he singled them out and gave them very intense personal training. Amelia Bones, the Head of the DMLE, Head Auror Hammer and Kingsley Shacklebolt, my soon-to-be boss, all went through his tutelage, although not at the Academy."

"People also call him Mad-Eye because he's excessively paranoid. Sees enemies behind every corner, only drinks from his private bottle and checks every dish for poison," Andromeda added.

"Well, every year there's at least one attempt on his life so he's not just paranoid," Tonks defended her mentor with obvious pride.

"Where do you work Mrs Tonks?" Harry asked, hoping that she was not a housewife and he had put a foot in his mouth.

"It's Andi or Andromeda if you must be formal and I work Comet Broomstick Company. I got in through an internship after my OWLs as a medi-witch. Mainly I was patching up all the test pilots that manage to crash their brooms but now I'm working in development. I also met Edward there," the older witch explained with a hint of pride.

"Edward, or Ted, is my dad, he works in legal there and is usually stuck with paperwork... Although he should be home soon," Tonks added quickly.

"How did you go from the infirmary to developing new brooms?" Harry wanted to know. He knew a lot about the different broom models and their features, but not how exactly they worked or were produced.

"Well, I was taking care of a developer who had been too eager to try out his newest design and he was complaining about the set of runes he used for the prototype. I asked if I could take a look and he just rolled his eyes but decided to humour me anyways since he was not going anywhere. It was not difficult to find the problem and while I was unable to come up with a fix that still impressed him. Two days later the Head of Development ask me if I want to work for him and so I ended up there. I still do the occasional shift in the infirmary when the other healers are sick or enjoying their holidays."

"How is a broom made?" Harry wanted to know. He had read a lot about brooms but their making was never explained in detail. Just that it was a very delicate process.

"Well, there are two main steps. First, all components, like the handle and the twigs, are enchanted by carving runes into them before coating them with a special paint that conduits the magic of the user. Then there are people who assemble the parts into the brooms you know. I can show you around at work next week if you want," Andromeda offered.

"I'd like that," he replied quietly just as he finished his second helping of Lasagna. The Hogwarts food was good but at the same time not very diverse. Harry couldn't remember if there had been a single salad served during the three years he spent in the magical castle. The dishes in front of him, however, offered a variety of tastes that he didn't even know exist. On the rare occasion that the Dursleys ate some foreign dish, they made sure that Harry had gotten none. He was after all a freak and didn't deserve it. Thus Harry ended up eating far more than he usually would, savouring the new flavours and spices.

Mrs Tonks already finished her meal and mirthfully watched as her daughter sculpted some of her rice to look like the triangular fortress of Azkaban. Her smile turned into a snort when the younger witch flooded her plate with chocolate sauce before dropping applesauce onto the remains and tucked in with unmatched gusto.

"What's so funny?" Harry asked, unaware of the whole byplay. While certainly friendly the atmosphere in the kitchen was still rather reserved as he was still getting to know his newfound relatives.

"My daughter just proves once more that she is five and has an unmatched sweet tooth. Don't worry about it, she's always like this," Andromeda replied while the metamorph pouted before sticking her chocolate clad tongue out.

* * *

The dinner concluded soon after and Harry was ushered into the sitting room. Taking a look around, Harry immediately noticed the dark red settee, large enough for five people in front of a small table made of walnut wood. Two armchairs were placed left and right of it, forming a half circle which was complemented by two footrests. The whole furniture arrangement faced a television set that, while unable to match Dudley's large screen, was still above average. The floor and walls were covered by reddish chestnut panels, giving the room a warm and cosy but also gloomy atmosphere. Several cabinets were lined up along the walls, filled with books and pictures. To Harry's surprise, electrical lamps were hanging from the ceiling. Considering the telly, the use of electricity should not have been unexpected.

"Take a seat Harry," Andromeda instructed. At the same moment, her daughter tried to get on the sofa by sliding over the armrest. Unfortunately for her she miscalculated her momentum and ended up overshooting her target and landed on the tufted carpet.

"Bugger," the metamorph groaned before pulling herself up onto the sofa.

"Nymphadora, what did I tell you about jumping over furniture?"

"Mum, don't use that name."

"You still need to come up with an alternative."

"I have a perfectly acceptable middle name. You should know since you gave it to me. But since you were high on pain relief potions you decided to choose Nymphadora as my first name," she pouted. It was an argument that they had at least once each month and it ended always the same. Edward noted more than once that it was simply a game that made only sense for them but still laughed at the antics of his daughter and his wife.

"I was not high on potions. You just didn't look like a Lyra," Andromeda pointed out and Harry guessed that was the middle name they were talking about.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, lyres are harmonious, something you most certainly are not. Before I could name you, you managed to knock off the healer's glasses and shifted your hair from black to green before settling on purple."

"Can't you simply call me dear, like dad?"

"Your father calls you Nimmy most of the time."

"Muuummm!"

"You know it's the truth. I try not to use your name but unlike you, I happened to like it."

"Fine," the metamorph grumbled.

"What am I supposed to call you?" Harry asked. Considering that he would be living with three of them a simple "Tonks" wouldn't work.

"Don't even think about it," Andromeda said firmly as she spotted the mischievous glint in her daughter's eyes.

"What?"

"You were trying to come up with something highly inappropriate like _hot stuff_ or worse."

"Mum!"

"Don't mum me, young lady, I know it is my family that you got your craziness from."

During the entire exchange, Harry sat there and felt like he was missing something obvious. Luckily his aunt prevented an awkward silence when she presented a solution for his initial problem.

"You know Harry, the last time you saw her you called my daughter Dora, or as you said it back then, Do'a. And she liked it. Granted, you were one and seven but still, she did not complain about that particular nickname."

"Muuummm!" said witch whined when childhood stories of her were mentioned. These stories were particularly embarrassing because they usually involved a lack of clothing, whether accidental due to her clumsiness or deliberate because she happened to dislike the chosen outfit. There were only a few things that the usually confident woman disliked more than her childhood stories.

"We have pictures of that day around here somewhere. There's also one where you and Nymphadora are playing outside…"

"Please, not that one. Have some mercy on poor old me," Dora plead in an overly dramatic fashion but her mother was relentless. With a flick of her wand, a picture frame soared through the air, followed by three more. In an attempt of damage control, the metamorph sat down next to Harry and hoped that she could prevent any highly embarrassing stories.

The first picture was taken during the Christmas season. It showed a room in winter decorations. The entire ceiling was covered in ice, a Celtic knot among other patterns engraved in the middle of it. Magical snow was falling slowly, disappearing before it reached anyone. In between the flakes, a mistletoe was hovering over two women. One of them was easily recognisable as his mother while the other one was a younger looking Andromeda who smiled mischievously before kissing the redhead full on the lips. The kiss lasted only a second before both started giggling rather violently. In the background, James Potter was staring slack-jawed at the two witches until he dropped his wand. That, however, caused the mistletoe to drop on the two women before the picture reset. Only during the third loop, Harry noticed that a small baby and a young purple haired girl sleeping on armchairs, completely unaware of the scene in front of them.

"That was New Year 1981 at Godric's Hollow. Ed took the picture when your dad thought that he came up with the perfect prank. Your mum did all the decorating, charming the ceiling and the Christmas tree. She had been truly gifted and was working on her mastery."

"How well did you know my parents?" Harry wanted to know.

"Well, your grandmother was my aunt so I knew your father since I can remember. After I turned sixteen I practically lived at Potter Manor until I eloped. I met Lily in her second year when I tutored her in transfiguration. That must have been my sixth year. Your mother had pretty much the same problem I had with the subject. We both failed to see why we were learning transfiguration," Andromeda said with a nostalgic smile and chuckled at a memory. "Sure, changing stuff into something different is fascinating, but it is not really useful if you think about it. You can do nearly every household task with charms, from chopping vegetables to cleaning. Animation, summoning, levitation, that's all useful. But there are only a few uses for transfiguration. And unless you are on mastery level it's not even practical in a duel because it's just too slow. Dumbledore can turn a pile of garbage into an army but the average wizard is cut down before he can finish his first spell."

"So why are we learning it?" Harry asked. For him, transfiguration was a fun subject, although a difficult one. At least when they were not going over some theory for hours.

"Because there are two related disciplines that are useful. Conjuration and vanishing. They are difficult however and in order to learn them, you need to understand the basics of transfiguration the same way you learn how to fly before learning corkscrew dives," Andromeda unknowingly recited the explanation she had given many years ago.

"That makes some sense I guess."

"You are not satisfied with this answer?"

"Not really. I mean, there's so much magic and we learn so little at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts is there to teach you the basics. It's more about how you use magic safely and not about individual spells. If you want something specific like, let's say a knitting charm you have the entire library at your disposal. Or you can ask a teacher. Flitwick is always willing to help and old Slughorn knew a guy for everything, from help with transfiguration up to buying enchanted anti-tank weapons."

Harry wasn't sure if the last remark was a joke or not but he got the core message. Hogwarts was just the foundation. If he wanted to know more about magic he'd have to learn it alone. Whether it was wise to trust a bunch of kids to do extracurricular work in order to be more than a pitiful excuse for a wizard was questionable at best, but not entirely unsurprising. After all, they had to choose electives without as much as a pamphlet about the courses and their career opportunities. And judging by the size of the Divination class, that gamble was not working out well.

"Anyways, we got a bit off topic here. I wanted to show you this one. It also explains what I said earlier," Andromeda said and gave Harry a different frame with the same pictures. Then she tapped the top of the frame with her wand and the wintery cottage was replaced by a sunny garden. In the middle of the picture a blue and yellow inflated swimming pool. Running around it was a wobbly legged toddler which Harry presumed was him chasing a naked girl around the age of seven or eight. The girl with a blue mop on her head suddenly stopped and lifted him into the air, both of them happily laughing while Andromeda was watching them from a garden chair, a book in her lap. In the background his parents were playing badminton, using a floating rope as an improvised net.

Seeing these pictures made Harry feel strangely fuzzy in his stomach. It was the first time he actually saw his family together. Thanks to Hagrid he had a couple of photographs from his parents' school time, but the most recent one was taken during their wedding and none showed him. The pictures also proved that the Dursleys had been lying to him when they said that nobody wanted him. Finally having solid proof was a great relief for him.

Harry felt something warm on his cheek but needed a moment to realise that it was, in fact, a tear. Strong arms came around him, pulling the young wizard back until his head rested on his cousin's shoulder.

Being held tightly reinforced the warm feeling but also made it difficult to maintain control over his body. It was only a small gesture but when the metamorph began stroking her fingers through his hair it was enough to bring down the emotional walls Harry had erected to protect himself at Number Four. His resolve crumbled and the happiness was overshadowed by a deep wave of sadness. Because for the first time he actually felt like he was part of a family. For the first time, he had evidence that he had been part of one. And for the first time, Harry realised how much he had lost during that fateful Halloween night nearly thirteen years ago. He could have grown up happily, without his cupboard, endless work and Harry Hunting. And once the floodgates were opened there was no stopping it.

Lost to his own world Harry didn't even think about the fact that he was clinging to someone he barely knew. With the tears now flowing freely, he burrowed himself in the crook of Tonks' neck and cried until he was drained of both anguish and energy. No more tears would come and he felt utterly exhausted. For the first time, he could remember someone had been there when he had been overwhelmed by emotions. Throughout his breakdown, she kept stroking his head and began humming a tune only known to her.

It was at this point that Nymphadora Tonks connected the dots. The scars on his arms and his strong reaction to the slightest bit of familiar love only lead to one ugly conclusion. She silently vowed to do anything she could to help her cousin. To help him heal, to protect him and to be part of the family he desperately longed for.

Tired after a five hundred mile journey and emotionally spent Harry fell asleep on the living room couch using the metamorph as a pillow.


	4. Damage Report

"That was rather unexpected," Andromeda remarked dryly. She had hoped that Harry would be happy to see family pictures, not start crying. She had wanted to break the ice with her long-lost nephew before getting to know him but ended up making him feel bad or awkward on the first evening in her home. Thinking that the pictures brought back some unpleasant memory, possibly from the night James and Lily were murdered, the Tonks matriarch vowed to be more careful in the future. Her nephew even mentioned that the Dementors made him relive that horrible event and yet she showed him the pictures.

"Mum, can you cast a diagnostic spell on him? I have a really bad feeling," Nymphadora asked and her mother could pick up the sadness in her daughter's tone. Sirius had mentioned that Harry's relatives didn't treat him well and the Tonks family discussed the possibility, but seeing it with her own eyes was something entirely different. Simple acts of kindness surprised her nephew and he had a strong reaction to the pictures. There were a few ways this could be explained but none of them painted a pleasant picture.

Steeling herself for the expected results, the trained healer performed an older charm which had fallen out of fashion with the invention of spell linked parchment. Instead of creating a nice list of health issues like the contemporary diagnostic charm, the older version altered her vision, magically highlighting anything of importance about the medical state of the target.

As expected Nymphadora was glowing in a bright pink, . The boy in her arms, however, was also glowing, something that made the older witch cast the spell twice more before reaching the sombre conclusion that it was working properly and the at least a dozen red lines across his skin were indeed the indisputable evidence of physical abuse. Several blue lines indicated badly healed bone fractures, mostly along the arms and ribs while the overall cyan colour indicated the pitiful stability of his skeleton.

"How bad is it mum? Because you started growling and that is bloody scary."

"I have no experience with child abuse cases but he has all textbook symptoms. Besides the psychological ones, there are old wounds with extensive scarring and weak bones with far too many fractures. There's also an injury that looks like something at least an inch thick went straight through his arm and came out on the other side. And Harry is at least four inches shorter than he should be at nearly fourteen. But I don't understand how the Hogwarts healer could miss all this. You said that Harry spent some time with her, right?"

If that was the case the Matron should have her license revoked. It was bad enough that her nephew had to suffer through the injuries at the hands of his relatives but that they went untreated for years, several of which were spent under the Scottish duo, McGonagall and Pomfrey was an entirely different story.

"More than a week in our shared year alone," Dora hissed, carefully keeping her voice down in order to keep her cousin asleep.

"I just don't understand how anyone would miss this."

"You assume that it went unnoticed."

"What are you implying?" Andromeda wanted to know, her eyebrows raised as she tried to follow her daughter's train of thought.

"Look, I just graduated from the Academy, I have no experience with child abuse or domestic violence, my medical talent ends at field healing and I didn't even cast a diagnostic spell. Do you honestly believe that at least a dozen of trained professionals, be it, healer or teacher, missed what plain old me saw after an hour? I can feel two scars through his shirt for Merlin's sake. How could anyone miss that? "

"Maybe they thought that Harry got them in battle. You know how many awful Harry Potter books are out there. And there are many people who think that they are the truth."

"I know that the other students are neither trained nor supposed to look out for abuse but someone must have noticed something."

Whatever the older witch was about to reply was cut off by the telltale crack of an incoming apparition.

"Edward is home."

"Can you explain what happened here to dad? I'm kinda preoccupied and not going anywhere," Dora asked and used her free hand to gesture at Harry, who still clung to her shoulder.

"Is that position comfortable?" her mother asked sceptically.

"It certainly beats the survival training last winter."

"Maybe we should take him to his room instead."

"And then he wakes up in a strange room, remembers what happened and spends the next few hours thinking that we shunned him. I'd much rather talk it through once and find out what caused that reaction than dance around the issue for the next week."

"If you think that this is the best way then I'm not stopping you. Remember, I'm out of my element here."

"So am I mum, so am I. But I have a feeling that simply dumping the problem on a psychologist won't help here. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this," Dora replied resolutely.

"Meda? Nimmy? Where are you? I thought we were having a guest," a new voice called out.

"I'll take care of Ed. You keep an eye out on Harry," Andromeda said and left the room after one last glance over her shoulder.

* * *

While her parents were talking in hushed tones, Nymphadora Tonks thought about the best course of action. One undeniable task was repairing the damage done to her cousin. The bones and scars could be easily healed with magic and the malnutrition was not that problematic after ten months at Hogwarts but his height would forever remain below average. The psychological damage would take years to fully heal but that was to be expected. Harry would need a family to help him with the process and somehow Tonks knew that she'd get the job done. It would not be easy but her mother's mantra echoed through her head.

 _Family is the most important thing and we don't have much family left._

There were other matters to deal with. His muggle relatives, largely responsible for the entire situation, would need to face consequences for their actions. But simply taking them to court would probably not work. Since they got away with the abuse for years she'd need something more. Maybe hiding a knife with Harry's blood on it and framing them for a supposed murder would do the trick. Or planting several pounds of drugs in their home before giving the police an anonymous call. Yes, that idea had some merit.

Then there was the issue with Hogwarts. It was undeniable that her cousin was getting a special treatment there because neither getting on the Quidditch team for saving a useless three-Sickle-trinket nor receiving a detention in the Forbidden Forest were part of the normal Hogwarts experience.

But perhaps the biggest problems were the mysterious events surrounding Harry at Hogwarts. She had not forgotten the Basilisk remark nor the odd business with Quirrell and there were even more rumours floating around, ranging from midnight duels to drunken escapades. She would need to get to the bottom of these tales before anything else.

Hours later, long after nightfall, the metamorph felt the small teenager on top of her shoulder stir. For most of her "pillow duty" Tonks had been thinking what to do with her cousin. They had two months of holidays to fill but her lack of knowledge about Harry made it difficult to plan ahead. Obviously, there was the World Cup. He would need tutoring but the extent was yet to be determined. Her mother would be unrelenting and as much as she hated it back then, nowadays Dora was glad to have gotten additional lessons during the holidays. Besides that, everything else was up to him.

* * *

Green eyes snapped open and quickly jumped across the room which Harry was not familiar with. Only when they met the metamorph's purple irises he began remembering the previous evening and quickly tried to duck away in shame. But because his cousin still had an arm around him she was able to stop him with a gentle squeeze.

"I'll get you some hot chocolate and then we'll talk, alright?"

Despite the soft and oddly comforting tone, Harry could only nod. Thanks to his time at Privet Drive he rarely allowed his true emotions to show and now he was not sure how to handle the situation. At the Burrow, he had been able to hide behind the mayhem five children were able to cause. But now there were no twins nearby to distract their mother, no Ginny who would draw attention on her with blushing and babbling, no Percy to ask questions about the Ministry and no Ron who would ask for food or a game of Quidditch. He'd have to answer questions, even if he didn't like it. Well, at least he was not with the Dursleys anymore.

With a resigned shrug, Harry followed his cousin through a confusing and dimly lit maze of doors, chambers and corridors until they reached a dark space. A flick of the light switch illuminated the room in a cold glow but revealed that they had, in fact, reached the kitchen. The room, while at least average in size, was still smaller than what the Gryffindor had expected after the lavish meal he enjoyed earlier. He watched in silence as Dora summoned a bunch of boxes before using a heating charm on the milk.

Soon Harry was sitting at the small kitchen table and holding a rather large cup filled with steaming chocolate. Slowly sipping the drink Harry noticed that it had an unidentifiable taste to it, which somehow reminded him of Christmas, despite the summery weather outside.

"Alright, let's talk about the hippogriff in the room," Tonks said over the rim of her own mug. After tucking a strand of blue hair behind her scarlet hoodie, she gave Harry a penetrating gaze. "There's no shame in crying. Merlin knows how often I have bawled my eyes out on that couch. Just help me understand why kiddo. I want to help you but I don't know how."

The bluntness was surprising and also a little frightening but simultaneously Harry could feel the sincerity of her words. She wanted to help. Nonetheless, he still needed a moment to decide what to say.

"It was the first time I actually heard what my family was like. A lot of people have said I am like Mum or Dad or that I look like them but it didn't mean anything to me because I only know so little about them. Hagrid gave me a picture album of them but there were no explanations. I didn't know the stories behind the snapshots and there were no pictures from after my birth - Then - Then there was Sirius. He knew a lot about them but his stories were mostly about their Hogwarts time before mum and dad got married. He always got that haunted look whenever anything past their graduation came up. Then your Mum showed me the pictures and I realised that growing up could have been like in the pictures and not - Could have been without the Dursleys."

Dora got the idea but decided not to press the issue. They would have to deal with it eventually but not during his first night at Tonks Hill.

"Mum can tell you a lot of stories. Not so much about their Hogwarts time but what happened later. She and your dad were somewhat distant cousins, much like we are. When she was sixteen she practically moved in with the Potters. Your grandmother was Dorea Black so it was not that much of an issue but I can't tell you exactly how we are related. The Black family tree is a mess beyond my understanding."

"Do I have any more family?" Harry asked and ended up sounding far more desperate than he would have liked.

"There's Sirius, and mum has two sisters but other than that nothing for many generations. I am not an expert on genealogy but I still remember some of what mum told me. There are a few distant Blacks who scattered in the wind after Uncle Orion died and generally stay below the radar. There was another branch of the Potters on the Orkney islands but the last one was killed in the fifties or sixties."

"So I have two more aunts?" Harry asked hopefully and was surprised by Dora wincing.

"Well - one of them is enjoying life in Azkaban because she was one of the Dark Lord's most devoted followers while Aunt Cissy is stuck in a marriage with Lucius Malfoy."

"Wait, my aunt is Malfoy's mum? I'm related to Malfoy?"

"If you'd ask my mother she would tell you to blame it on her," the metamorph replied but that didn't help Harry to understand what this was about.

"Did she set them up?"

"No, she married dad. My grandparents her for it because, well dad is a Muggleborn. There was not much they could do about it, however, since great-uncle Arcturus was the head of House Black. While certainly not pleased with the marriage and believing in the superiority of purebloods, he didn't want to kill Muggleborns or stuff like that. He gave mum and dad this farmhouse as a wedding gift so that he could claim to have honoured the traditions while simultaneously pointing out that he gave his blood traitor niece a farmhouse instead of a Manor befitting her station. When Arcturus died in 1974, Uncle Orion became Head and immediately cast Mum from the family while negotiating marriage contracts with proper wizards for both of her sisters to prevent a repeat of what mum did."

"Proper wizards?"

"You know, sons from families who openly supported the extermination of Mudbloods. Surprisingly both became Death Eaters."

"Oh," was all that Harry could reply, still thinking about what Tonks had said. While not responsible for the actions of her family he could understand why his aunt felt guilty for being the catalyst for a lot of bad events.

"Aunt Cissy is actually alright. She and mum secretly meet once or twice every month under the disguise of getting their nails done. But there's no way I'll subject myself to that kind of torture even if I get to meet the only magical relative that talks to me. I only come along if they go to a tee house or restaurant."

"Torture?" Harry asked sceptically. While certainly not his idea of a pleasant day, torture sounded very exaggerated. In response, the older witch simply held up her hand and her fingernails turned into five inch long talons before returning to normal size but quickly shifted their colours.

"I can't stand other people changing my body. Probably because I'm a metamorph but it feels just so - wrong. Plus I don't really need anyone else to cut my hair or do my nails when I can change it whenever I want to."

"Are there any limits?"

"Well, I can't change my mass beyond a few pounds and nothing about my bones. I can't grow stuff like metal or stone out of my body either. And while I can become a pretty convincing guy I cannot actually father kids. Don't have a clue how balls are supposed to work."

"Pretty convincing guy?" Harry echoed and blushed. Dora rolled her eyes while her nose became rather phallic, hanging past her chin before becoming erect and transforming back to a normal shape.

"Alright, I get it! That was disturbing."

Her cousin's expression was well worth the odd shift and she burst out laughing. Seeing the absurdity of the situation and Dora literally becoming a dickhead Harry joined in.

"Can I learn that?" he asked once they both calmed down.

"Yes and no. Being a metamorph is something you are born with and we are rare. You can, however, at least temporarily, change nearly everything about your appearance with self-transfiguration, although I doubt McGonagall will show you how to turn limbs into genitals" Tonks explained before shifting into a mirror image of the stern Scotswoman. "Pay attention class, today we will be turning pinkies into penises and if you do not manage it during the lesson it will be your homework to work on your penile pinkies."

"How many metamorphmagi are there in Britain?" the Gryffindor wanted to know after he stopped laughing.

"Well, there are three that can change anything, including bones. Another eight are around my level and about two dozen more that can only do stuff like hair and nails."

"Is there any way I could use magic to hide my scar? Because I'm really tired of starting a commotion wherever I go."

"It's a cursed scar so I doubt the usual charms and potions would work on that. You'd have to ask Mum since she forgot more about dark magic than I ever knew."

"Not to sound rude, but why does Aunt Andi know so much about the dark arts?" Harry carefully asked.

"Her parents had rather disturbing ideas concerning childhood education. Most magical children learn magic outside of Hogwarts but many of the darker families take things further and teach their kids nasty curses."

"I thought magic was forbidden outside of Hogwarts unless you're seventeen," Harry said, a floating pudding and a howler clearly in his mind.

"Well, in theory, it is. But the ministry sensors do not work in magical houses and settlements because they are triggered by any spell cast in the area and the number of false positives made them useless. When they updated the system a couple of years ago, a girl living in Diagon got expelled over six hundred times before they figured out something was wrong."

Imagining what Hermione "or worse, expelled" would do if she kept getting hundreds of expulsion notices made him laugh hysterically.

"What's so funny?"

"Just thinking about a friend."

"Tell me about him," Dora said. She hoped that she could get Harry to open up a little. That was something she considered to be the first step in dealing with his demons and also in getting to know her cousin once more. After all, he was no longer the cute little bundle of laughter she remembered from her childhood.

And so Harry told her about meeting Hermione and how their friendship began over a knocked out Troll as well as his friendship with Ron. He told her both the good and the bad, how much fun they have had but also about their faults. To properly explain everything Harry also had to recount their shared "adventures". Once he reached the petrifications of his second year Dora paled and filled herself a glass of Firewhiskey but didn't interrupt. She seemed to pay attention to nothing but his words, something that Harry found refreshing. There were no unnecessary cheers and unrelated questions interrupting him, only someone who genuinely listened to his story. But when he retold the events inside the Chamber of Secrets and his close call with death she decided that enough was enough, walked around the table and kneeled down in front of Harry.

"Promise me please that you will never do something that stupid again," she said in a firm voice which left little room for an argument.

"Stupid? But Ginny - " the Gryffindor stuttered in surprise. While he admitted that he could have handled the situation better it was still the first time anyone criticised that particular action.

"Is not your bloody responsibility. Her brothers failed to notice anything wrong with that girl while she was possessed by Voldemort. The teachers failed to do the same. It is neither your job nor your duty to put your endanger your life because a little girl did not listen to her parents and played around with a dark artefact. Next time tell a teacher instead of taking on a basilisk. Why didn't you go to McGonagall? She is one of the greatest transfiguration prodigies in British history and would have killed the bloody snake within ten seconds. Or Flitwick, whose reputation as a duelling master is known throughout Europe. He wouldn't take much longer to rip the beast into pieces."

"I - I didn't think about Flitwick. And I don't trust McGonagall. She gave me that nighttime detention in the Forbidden Forest for helping Hagrid. Thanks to her I came across Voldemort's ghost, she didn't believe me about the Philosopher's Stone, she did nothing when everyone thought I was the heir of Slytherin and she didn't believe me about Sirius."

"That…that makes a disturbing amount of sense. I mean if you put it like this I wouldn't go to McGonagall either. She would probably put me in detention out of habit. Sorry for jumping down your throat," Tonks deflated while still processing the previous revelation. Voldemort was truly alive, which was not really unexpected considering Dumbledore has been saying that for the last decade. Even if he seemed all (great-)grandfatherly, the man was still Britain's leading expert in fighting the Dark Arts. The many failures of the Hogwarts staff were also disturbing. Based on the NEWT scores it was the best magical school in Britain and number four in Europe. If Hogwarts, despite all its potentially lethal shortcomings, was the Creme de la Creme of magical education, what did that say about the others?

"Anyways, this year was really bad. Ron and Hermione were always at each other's throats because Ron's rat disappeared and he blamed Hermione's cat. They had huge fights at least once a week and both wanted me on their side. I understood Hermione since there was little evidence but she was not really nice about the whole issue. And Ron found red fur once and it was enough to constantly start fights. It was actually Wormtail who planted the fur there to fake his death. It's really frustrating since there never was a rat, to begin with."

"Having two of your friends fighting is never pleasant. Did it got better after you were able to tell them the truth about the rat?"

"Uhm, no. Ron didn't believe me that his rat was really a guy. I think that he was just shocked by the fact that he had been sleeping with a thirty-year-old man for three years. And Hermione - that is difficult. We are not fighting but we haven't talked at all for weeks. She was always rather studious but she's gone really insane this year. After taking all the electives she did nothing else but homework, revision and reading. I think I've been in Hogsmeade more often than her, and I had no permission slip," Harry summarized but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something obvious.

"Hmm, there are always a couple students that take more than the recommended three electives but no one ever pulls it through. I think the farthest someone got was the fifth year winter holidays when the OWL revisions begin. Which electives did you choose?"

"I took Care and Divination but I dropped Divination after Trelawney wouldn't shut up about me dying. Since I know nothing about Runes and Arithmancy sounded really boring I chose Muggle studies instead."

"Well, I can't fault you for that. Care is probably the most important elective since coming across magical creatures a lot easier than walking into a rune trap or ever needing arithmancy. Nowadays runes are mostly used for permanently enchanted objects like brooms or gimmicks like those stasis bowls mum uses to store food. Unless you want to become an inventor, a curse- or a ward breaker you don't need runes. Take it from me, I took Runes for three years and I haven't needed that knowledge so far."

The two fell into a comfortable silence while Harry thought about how to ask the question that had been bothering him for the past five minutes.

"Eh, Dora, I really don't want to sound ungrateful but why are you doing all of this?"

"Do what?"

"Talking with me, letting me stay here, everything - "

"Because we are family and family helps each other. I certainly don't remember everything from thirteen years ago but I know that I liked you," Tonks said and paused to scratch her chin. "I never really thought about it but you were pretty much the only person, not three times my age I've met until the war ended. Since mum got blasted from the family tree we weren't exactly the most popular family. Mum and Dad had friends but none of them had kids and half of them died in the war. There's a cousin from dad's side of the family but she's a spoiled brat that would not be out of place at Malfoy's Yuletide Ball. And then suddenly there were you. Granted, a baby isn't exactly the best playmate, but you had that happy, infectious glint in your eyes. Everyone was always very tense, I didn't understand why, but whenever we met the war and everything else didn't matter. You had that effect on my parents and whoever was around. That glint, however, is gone, replaced by - Well, I'm not exactly sure but it looks like sadness or pain. No one in our age should have that haunted look, should have gone through what you had to endure. It breaks my heart to see you like this and I just want to hold you tightly and tell you that it's going to be alright."

"That sounds nice," Harry quietly mumbled to himself and yet Dora heard him. When the Gryffindor realised what he had let slip his eyes widened and he blushed furiously but she simply stood up and wordlessly walked over before wrapping both arms around him. At first, the Gryffindor flinched but after a moment of realising that no harm would come to him, he relaxed and allowed to enjoy the hug. It felt warm, nice and, most important, safe.

"I used to hope that someone would come and get me away from the Dursleys, a mysterious relative or even the police. I think I lost that hope by the time I turned nine. But now that it actually happened - I'm feeling - relieved but I always imagined I'd be happier. Maybe it's because the Dursleys, besides Marge, had not been that bad last year. I wasn't locked in my room or cupboard, I had food..." Harry rambled on until his voice dropped to an inaudible level.

"Cupboard?"

"Before the Hogwarts letters arrived I was sleeping under the stairs. There wasn't much space but it wasn't too bad either. I got Dudley's second bedroom - " At this point, Harry was beyond caring. He already said too much, the damage was done so lying would achieve nothing.

"Wait, they kept you in a cupboard while your cousin had two bedrooms?" Tonks asked outraged, her hair turning a deep crimson shade.

"The Dursleys were always trying to make me miserable. They were rarely, uhm, physical, but they didn't stop Dudley or Ripper from hurting me. And they made sure to spoil him while I got nothing. But it could have been a lot worse - " Harry explained until a yawn interrupted him.

"Harry, just because there are worse people it doesn't mean that your relatives are anything but utter scum. And they are going to pay for it."

"You are not going to kill them, right?" A stunned and slightly scared Harry asked.

"Kill them?" Tonks gave a bitter laugh that, unknown to both of them, was almost a carbon copy of her aunt's mad cackle. "I could post their address in the Daily Prophet and a lynch mob would raze their house within an hour, slaughter them like pigs and then sell tickets for taking a dump on their corpses. But no, I'll make sure that they end up in prison. I've actually thought about this for a couple hours. Getting them convicted for child abuse might be a little difficult due to the lack of indisputable evidence but if several pounds of class A drugs were to be found in their house they would face the same 14 years in prison and their conviction would be a lot easier. I'll have to talk to dad about this idea since he knows more about the law than I do but I'd say that it is the best choice unless you want them to specifically face child abuse charges. But a good lawyer might save them from prison in that case."

"That - I guess that would be fine - I - " Harry yawned again and this time Tonks followed suit.

"It's getting late so I suggest we wrap this up tomorrow. Do you want to go back to the couch or up to your room?"

"Uhm, the room is fine. Thank you for everything and sorry for… for falling asleep on you."

"Don't worry about that. I actually did the same thing to mum a couple times so you are in good company."

* * *

 **AN:**

Just to make things clear here, in this story Andromeda is the eldest Black Sister, born in November 1954, Bella in January 1957 and Narcissa in March 1960. Andromeda fled to live with her Aunt Dorea when she turned sixteen and got a holiday internship with the Comet Broomstick Company, where she was offered a healer position after graduation. She met Ted there and they eloped during the Winter Holidays 1972/73. Andromeda took her NEWTs in the early stages of pregnancy and Nymphadora was born in December 1973.


	5. The next day

By the time Harry woke up the sun was already high in the sky, shining through a window right into his face. He briefly wondered how this was possible since the Dursleys never let him sleep in but then he remembered that he wasn't at Privet Drive but in… Well, to be honest, he had no idea where he currently was. It was probably on the British Isles but that didn't narrow it down by much. All he knew that he was staying with the Tonks and not in Surrey. And while this made him happy there were more pressing matters, namely finding a bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, when Harry stepped out of the bathroom freshly showered he realised that he didn't even know how his room looked like. When he went to bed last night it was dark and he had been too tired to look around. Today, after waking up his bladder has had other plans than exploration. And so he was quite surprised when he noticed the roof slope on the far wall, which seemed to have a small balcony attached to it on the outside.

The room itself was considerably bigger than the one he has had at Number Four, but still far from the lavishness of pureblood mansions like Neville had mentioned when he had described Longbottom Hall. There was a bed, a desk, two chairs, two wardrobes, a small television, a window and the door to the aforementioned balcony. The walls were covered by wooden panels, which seemed to be a common theme in this house and all fabrics were green and red, from the drapes to the bedclothes.

His grumbling stomach reminded him that it was long past breakfast time so Harry decided to get some food. But in order to do that he needed to find the way to the kitchen first. Stepping back out into the hallway the Gryffindor saw that there were three other doors on the floor. The one in front of him was clearly Dora's and the one on his left bathroom but he had no idea what was behind the unknown door at the far end of the corridor, next to a dusty window. A spiral staircase led to the lower levels and he vaguely recalled climbing steps forever but that was probably due to his sleepy state.

The house had three levels and until he heard voices Harry did not know where to go. After all, randomly entering rooms was not a particularly polite thing to do. Following the noise around several corners, he ended up in the living room, where Dora was lazily lying on the sofa, watching a movie.

"Morning squirt. For breakfast, you have the magical realm of the refrigerator freely at your disposal since I have no idea what you like to eat and my cooking skills are limited to ordering take out. Bread is in the box next to it and you'll find knives and spoons in the middle drawer. Just eat whatever you want, we have enough of everything," the metamorph said once she noticed him in the door.

While Harry munched on his food Dora entered the room and sat down at the kitchen table next to him. He could almost feel her intense gaze for several seconds until she suddenly snatched a newspaper from the table and started skimming the front page.

"Is something wrong?"

"I could ask you the same but judging by your healthy appetite and the fact that your hair is still dripping from the shower you took before coming down it can't be that bad, right?" she replied and her smile faltered for a moment before Harry snorted and Dora could be sure that she did not put her foot in her mouth.

"I'm fine, but - where are we?"

"We're at Tonks Hill. It's a farmhouse my parents had to give a stupid name to because of some stupid law that was written in the sixteenth century and the Ministry never bothered to remove it from the books. Something about wizards having wizard appropriate houses. Basically, if you'd get a flat, you'd have to come up with a stupid name like _Potter's Pad_ ," the metamorph explained grinning.

"No, I mean, where are we, what is the next town called?"

"Ahh, we are in Kent between a village called Dunkirk and a hamlet called Dargate. We are about halfway between Faversham and Canterbury if that answers your question - I can fetch a map if you'd like."

"No, it's alright. But if you don't mind the question, why is there a fridge in the kitchen if you have these bowls?" Harry wanted to know, remembering the strange devices from dinner.

"Because we are lazy. Sure, you could probably get better results with some rune enchanted storage box, but they are quite expensive and you need to use your own magic to power the whole thing. It's far easier to plug in a fridge and be done with it. You only need to cast a cleaning charm on it once a week and that's literally three seconds of work even I can do. Also, dad says that his beer tastes better straight from the fridge," Dora smirked and was pleased to see her cousin smiling as well.

"Where is Aunt Andi? I had hoped to talk to her about yesterday." It still felt odd to call her aunt or to call anybody aunt and not hate the person.

"Mum and dad are at work, they should be home for dinner. And don't think that you have to apologise for anything."

"But I - "

"No. Look Harry, it's not healthy to just bottle up and hope for the best. You cannot suppress your emotions forever because everyone has a breaking point. I won't think less of you and neither will my parents. It's better to let these things out where no one will judge you then say in the Great Hall during dinner. Trust me, I speak from experience," Dora cut in forcefully and violet eyes met green to make sure that her cousin understood that message. After a moment of consideration, she gave Harry a warm smile. "So, what do you want to do today?"

"Huh?" Harry asks, caught off guard by the sudden change of topic.

"You know, we can just sit here and play video games all day if you'd like that. Or play football or badminton outdoors. I can show you some spellwork that you will not learn in Hogwarts. There's a training room downstairs with anything you can imagine, from weights to swords. Or I can help you with your summer homework so you don't have to think of it for the next two months."

"Could you - could you show me around the house? I - I don't remember much from yesterday."

"Sure, eat up and I'll give you a tour."

Once his stomach was filled Dora showed him every nook and corner of the house. The ground floor was divided between the Floo room, the kitchen, the sitting room and a small bathroom, while a far larger one was above it, next to the master bedroom and two small studies. The mysterious room below the roof was a simple guest quarter, just like Harry's room used to be. Overall the house was a lot smaller than it seemed last night and most rooms had some kind of wooden panels on the walls, a few of them looking nice while most were eyesores. The cellar was made from faded yellow bricks which looked far older than the rest of the house. The far side was filled with a weight rack and several things Harry had never seen before but guessed that they were used for exercises. A platform not unlike the one used by the duelling club under Lockhart stood in the centre, flanked by two identical racks filled with various weapons used for stabbing and slashing, from daggers to longswords.

"They are all blunt and the padding you should wear is enchanted to be unbreakable. So it's quite difficult to inflict serious injuries should you ever wish to learn how to use anything from there, simply spar or let out your frustration on a training dummy."

"Training dummy?"

"They are stored somewhere around here and originally intended to be used as targets for spell practice. But trust me, crushing one with a mace can be quite calming. So if you ever want to demolish something, just say the word."

"Uhm, thanks."

"You're welcome. Fencing is one of the few pureblood traditions Mum likes. Although what they do is really just a dance choreography with a long dagger. She tried to teach me but it was boring. The other weapons were Dad's idea, he just wanted to reenact a couple of movie scenes. Anyways, I think this was the last room. Time for the broom shed."

With that, she led Harry outside towards an unremarkable, small building made out of red bricks. Tonks Hill stood at the edge of a forest called Blean Wood with a small road separating the house from the grassland stretching out on its far side. The plain went on for half a mile before a small stream marked off the border to more woodland. It was an idyllic place, with the next house over three hundred yards away. The sea was less than three miles away and Tonks told him that during a storm you could sometimes hear the waves crashing against the shore

The broom shed stood at the edge of a pond in the shadows of tall broadleaf trees. Inside was a rack filled with a dozen brooms, most of which he had never seen before. Most were made from pale woods although one had a black handle and white twigs, something Harry had never seen before.

"The old Comet is mine. I could buy a new one but I won each game on it and it still flies. The others are mum's, odd prototypes that never made it into mass production. Most of the lot are nimble, but not very fast. Keeper brooms."

"Aunt Andi was a Keeper?"

"Until her sixth year, then she and her sisters all played Chaser. The Black Dread they were called. She was quite good in both positions."

"Does she still play?"

"No, too many memories. Most are bittersweet since Quidditch was one of the last things she did together with her sisters before everything went to hell."

"Oh."

"You know, 's quite difficult to believe that the sassy little sister from my mother's stories and the insane witch in Azkaban are the same person. I visited Aunt Bellatrix once and it wasn't pretty. She's raving mad, with wrinkled skin white as chalk and that haunted look in her eyes..."

"Uhm...I'm sorry," Harry stuttered, unsure what he could say in such a situation.

"Don't, 's not your fault. But enough of the heavy stuff, Wanna play football until lunch or do something else?"

"You play football?"

"I'll have you know that I was Faversham Town's best fullback during the summer hols," Nym replied and twirled around with an imaginary ball, using Harry's momentary distraction to swap her clothes for a black and white kit, the number twenty-two dominating her back, her last name proudly printed above it. A quick transfiguration turned a couple twigs into two goals, and the shed had a decent selection of balls to choose from.

* * *

At first, Harry was wary about playing football. Dudley and his friends often turned it into a game of "Hitting Harry" and even though Dora did not seem like she would try to hurt him some lingering doubt remained. His newfound cousin, however, was too competitive for that, preferring to score instead of shooting at him. After the first few goals without bodily harm, Harry began enjoying the game. While far from Dora's level he fumbled more than one ball into the back of the net, making her hold back less. Tonks alternated between praising him and ranting about his seeker reflexes when he managed to get around her with more luck than skill. They did not bother to keep score and Harry was happy not knowing how bad he was losing. The game went on until rain cancelled all outdoor activities.

After lunch and a quick shower, Dora got him started on his summer homework, using ice cream as a reward in true Fortescue fashion. And just like the ice cream maker, she sped up the work by explaining what he needed to know. Together with the knowledge gained from working with Katie and Leanne, Harry was able to complete his Charms essay without picking up his textbook.

"It'll do," Tonks said after reading the final result of three hours and was met with a raised eyebrow. "'S very short, but Flitwick likes it this way. Just remember that McGonagall and Snape would not be satisfied."

"Why do we even have summer homework?" Harry asked as he put the essay on the sofa table before sinking back into his armchair.

"Don't ask me, mum had to force me to do mine. Most teachers use these assignments for revision to make sure the students do not forget everything they learned but you'll notice that you still don't remember much when OWLs are approaching."

"How are they? OWLs I mean. Everyone is complaining about them but they don't say anything else"

"Besides Potions, the practicals are a joke but the theory is brutal. You know all the odd little spells you learned through the years? Have fun explaining them and particularly that second-year transfiguration you never used again. It's honestly a bigger workload than you have at a muggle university, at least that's what grandpa told me. Or dad for that matter."

"Your grandfather went to university after Hogwarts?"

"No, he studied engineering after serving in the Royal Air Force. Dad was muggleborn, remember?"

"Right, sorry."

"'S alright, you are taking this far better than expected.!

"Uhm, last night - " Harry began but Tonks cut in immediately.

"Last night was long overdue from what you've told me kiddo. But from what I've seen, I honestly thought you'd be in a worse state. And we're not even talking about your time in Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts is not that bad. As long as I'm not the heir of Slytherin that is."

"Not that bad? Only this year you nearly lost your soul twice, fell three hundred feet through freezing rain and barely avoided splashing on the ground, lost an international standard broom due to the incompetence of the Ministry and came face to face with the mass murderer who betrayed your parents. If that's a good year then what do you call a bad one?"

"At least I had food and friends. I didn't have that with the Dursleys," Harry replied meekly, taken aback by the venom in his cousin's voice. Hearing this Tonks visibly deflated and scooped her cousin in another hug.

"Sorry, 's just, my biggest worry in Hogwarts was not getting caught in a broom cupboard and remembering all assignments due on the next day. That's what Hogwarts is supposed to be. Not dementors, basilisks and necromancy. Let's say nothing weird happens, what would you say your next year looks like?"

"I don't know. I'd have sooo much free time and nothing to do. It would be glorious, to just sit around and enjoy the peace."

"Hmm, maybe you should have been better off in Hufflepuff."

"I thought they were known for hard work."

"Nope, we are known for our good looks. And being next to the kitchens. There's nothing better than hot chocolate and biscuits to forget the horrors of Snape's most recent lesson. Well - maybe a lot of Firewhiskey."

"How did you survive his NEWT class? I am looking forward to the OWLs just to get out of Potions."

"I told mum how he treated me when I came home for Christmas as a little first year. I don't know what she did but when I came back to Hogwarts he completely ignored me, which is probably the best you can get from him. Never found out what happened in Snape's office but my guess is blackmail. They were both in Slytherin, just a few years apart, so she has a lot of dirt on many people."

"Your mum blackmailed Snape? Oh, I'd love to see that."

"You're not the only one. We could have sold out the Quidditch Pitch for that show. Speaking of Quidditch, who are you rooting for in the World Cup?"

"I don't know, Britain?"

"There's no British team. England and Wales are in the running but Scotland and Northern Ireland didn't make it through the qualifiers. And I guess you can count Normandy as a British team as well."

"Isn't that in France?"

"Yes and - You don't know," Tonks broke off and pinched her nose.

"Know what?"

"Alright, let's make a long story very short and just say that most of the magical borders do not match the one you learned in elementary school. Borders changed due to muggle wars, which in most cases had nothing to do with magical government. Take Germany for example. Their nation is called Magical Roman Empire of German Nations and includes half of the neighbouring countries, whose magical governments recognise the Emperor as their ruler but are otherwise free to do as they please. It is probably closer to the European Union than to a single, united country. Their muggle counterpart fell apart centuries ago but without religious differences, Napoleon and the World Wars to break the realm apart, the magical one is still around. They have to hold their own tournament to decide who will represent them in the World Cup a year in advance. This time around Holstein, Bohemia, Styria and Saxony got the spots. And if you think that this is complicated don't look at Italy. Each large city there has an independent community and none of them get along."

"That sounds messy."

"Believe me, it is. Most pureblood families have their kids learn all of them and just how they are related to the local dynasties. Mum used to threaten that I had to do that if I didn't behave," Dora said and mock-shuddered. "Alright, I'll have to get you up to date for the World Cup since we have Tickets for Group C in Holyhead and the first knockout stage. Dad tried to get some for the Final but they had been sold out within hours."

"Am I coming with you?"

"Of course you do, we already bought an extra seat. The fixtures will be drawn next week so then we can go over the matches. It'll be great," Dora gushed and Harry found her enthusiasm contagious.

"How are international Quidditch matches?"

"I don't know, I've never been to one. But 's the World Cup and 's here in Britain."

"And Sweden will win it," a new voice echoed from the hallway and startled the Gryffindor.

"Dad, pretty uniforms do not win the game. Besides, the Welsh one with the red dragon on green and white is way more awesome than three yellow crowns on blue," Dora shouted back at the voice.

"They have a good team this year, you'll see," a man said as he entered the living room. "Hello, you must be Harry. I'm Edward."

"Hello sir," Harry greeted as saw his uncle for the first time. He was surprised how plain Edward looked, especially compared to his wife. While Andromeda had an unmistakably aristocratic appearance with her sharp jawline and nose, Edward's sandy brown hair and short stature would render him completely invisible in any crowd. His only remarkable feature was a pair of grey eyes which shone like polished steel.

"None of that sir, we are family after all."

"Where's mum?"

"She was held up by one of the 365 engineers who wanted a word. It shouldn't take very long," the man replied and noticed Harry's confused expressions. "Project 365 is a reboot of the _Comet 360_ with improvements in all areas. People believe that you make the most money with high-end brooms used for international Quidditch, but for every _Nimbus_ sold there are twelve _Comets_ finding new owners. The management even considers dropping out of the professional market altogether because we cannot hope to match Spudmore's _Firebolt_ for manoeuvrability or _Mikoyan_ for raw speed. But what we can do is making reliable brooms for everyday use."

"Stop trying to sell Harry a broom dad. You know that Sirius already got him a Firebolt."

"I am not trying to sell a broom. The 365 is not even in production right now."

"And it won't be for another two months, but I don't think Harry is interested in corporate secrets, dear," Andromeda chided her husband as she joined the trio in the living room. With two taps of her wand, the table set itself and food appeared from thin air, just like in Hogwarts. She gave her daughter a light kiss on the forehead and gently placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. The Gryffindor looked up and was surprised to see the concern in her eyes as they held eye contact for a moment. His Aunt seemed to search his face for something before she smiled and, with a squeeze of his shoulder, stepped away towards the food-laden table.

* * *

During dinner, Harry learned more about his kin than he did during twelve years in Surrey, mostly because the Tonks family, unlike the Dursleys, was happy to share tales from the past. Like how black hair dye was able to hide Dora's metamorphic abilities throughout elementary school. Or how Edward and Andromeda met for the first time.

"You see Harry, I had resigned myself to a muggle life and was looking for an internship while I studied Law at Keele University. Despite good NEWT scores no one wanted to hire me. There was a depression in the late sixties and it was difficult to find a job, especially as a Muggleborn, so I went back to my roots. My parents insisted so sent a couple applications to magical companies, not expecting to actually get a response, much less an internship. The owner of Comet, however, was curious if knowledge of the non-magical law and its practices could benefit his company. You know, find more loopholes so that he So he offered me the position. That had been quite the surprise," the man said before he got a distant look and a goofy smile.

"During one if my first lunch breaks, somebody ran into my office and slammed the door shut. I looked up, ready to give that person a piece of my mind but then froze for a second. In front of me stood the prettiest woman I've ever seen, and, being the smooth gentleman that I am, I shouted at her to knock before entering the next time. But she only smirked and took it as an invitation to stay and come back the next day. We pretty much spent all of our breaks together but it still took me a month and three dates to realise that Meda had two more years in Hogwarts left."

"That didn't stop you from seeing me whenever you could."

"Can you blame me for that?" Ted asked and his wife replied with a beaming smile while Dora only rolled her eyes. Sometimes her parents behaved like teenagers that just became an item and not like a couple married for over twenty years.

"Is there any difference between Muggle and magical law?" Harry wanted to know, afraid that questions about their relationship would cross an invisible line. At Number Four all he was told had been slander and here his relatives, no his family, was happy to include him.

"Obviously there are different laws but from a technical perspective, the biggest differences are in the courtroom. During a normal trial, you try to present your evidence and convince the judge that you are saying the truth. The magical system, however, is a lot harsher. You don't try to prove your side of the story, you try to discredit the other side, usually by bringing up something from at least a century ago or by using quotes out of context. Personally, I deal with contract law and export regulations so I'm almost never involved with that but it's still an ugly part of my profession."

"What are some other jobs in the magical world? McGonagall only ever mentions the Ministry."

"Well, there are the shop clerks and the people who make the products they sell. Depending on the shop they might need a herbalist, an enchanter, a brewer or an author. There's the whole curse breaking and warding business, magical exploration, you have all kinds of researchers and people harvesting magical creatures. The Ministry itself has many different positions, from accounting to dealing with magical accidents. And of course, you must not forget about healers," he added with another smile towards his wife.

"Basically, as long as it has nothing to do with 20th-century technology you'll find that job in our world," Dora summarized.

After dinner, Harry was introduced to another family tradition absent in his former home; board games. Edward's first suggestion, _Axis & Allies_, was immediately vetoed by his daughter. She explained to Harry that any wargames always ended with her parents wiping out the other players and deciding the winner between the two of them. Dora suggested Monopoly and after a quick explanation for Harry's sake, the game of ruthless capitalism began. Ironically, after two hours, the metamorph was the first to be bankrupted after a streak of bad luck, followed within a dozen turns by Harry. They watched the older pair trade banknotes back and forth for fifteen minutes of fast-paced action and yet it was the bank bleeding money. Seeing that Andi and Ted were, despite their deadlock, still going strong, Harry followed his cousin upstairs and tried to make up for the long night they have had.

* * *

 **AN:**

The description of the area around Tonks Hill is based on Google Maps/Street View and the Kent Habitat Survey 2012 published in 2013 by the Kent County Council. The house itself does not exist but the area is as close to reality as possible.

Faversham FC is a real club but I have no idea if they had women's youth squads in the 80s and 90s nor of those squads participated in exhibition matches and tournaments. Some clubs near me offer various kinds of holiday programs outsiders can join so I went with that.

I have honestly no idea how the curriculum of an aeronautical engineering course looked like in the fifties but the OWL requires you to learn an absurd amount of material. It boils down to at least five books per subject which results in at least thirty textbooks for fifteen and sixteen-year-old teenagers to learn within half a year. That's three or four times my university course load.

You might know the name Mikoyan from the Mikoyan and Gurevich Design Bureau, who developed the MiG series of Soviet (and Russian) fighter jets.


	6. Group Stage

The next few days passed in a blur. Edward and Andromeda did their best to make Harry feel at home, a task made easy by his low expectations. They spend a weekend answering any question he could think of, ranging from how a plane flew up to how his parents had first met. While Andi and Ted had already finished Hogwarts at that point, his aunt still remembered Sirius retelling the story. Apparently, they literally walked into each other whilst shopping in Diagon Alley and while Lily had forgotten their fateful encounter soon enough James had been intrigued by the brash girl, fueling an odd crush that lasted a decade and eventually turned into love.

Sunday's Prophet brought news from the International Quidditch Association. The groups had been drawn and Holyhead would host matches Venice - Lithuania, Holstein - Japan and Lithuania - Holstein while the other fixtures of Group C were played in Appleby. A heated debate later everyone agreed that Lithuania was likely to win the ground and Harry had a basic idea what to expect from each encounter.

Monday began with an invasion of Ministry owls. The Department of Records sent a confirmation that Andromeda was now officially Harry's guardian while Magical Inheritance offered congratulations for Andi's reinstatement into the Black family, a similar letter for Dora, an ornate scroll which named Andromeda as Sirius heir and a request from the Department Head to share any information about Lord Black because his people only got documents with a seal and a signature without a first name. It was magically binding and therefore the bureaucrats had no choice but to follow their regulations, no matter how much the disliked the lack of juicy gossip about the mysterious Lord Black.

Andromeda's first official action as Harry's guardian had been giving her daughter a bundle of banknotes to "get him some proper clothes." When he tried to object a quick lesson on magical currency and economy followed and left him gaping at the revelation that each Galleon was an ounce of gold, worth roughly 250 Pounds Sterling. Dreading the trip, Harry had been quite surprised that his cousin merely led him through three stores in Canterbury and got him a new wardrobe in under four hours, complete with everything from boxer shorts to a thick winter coat. Back at Tonks Hill Andi, after a thorough examination, came up with a potion regiment to repair some of the damage his other relatives inflicted. Harry had hesitated for a moment after realising that he now thought the terms aunt, uncle and cousin affectionately while the Dursleys became unwanted and unliked relatives. His Aunts second action as guardian had been telling him that he could now use as much magic as he wanted, provided he was not exposing the magical world to outsiders.

Dora was also responsible for Harry's oddest experience with magic by deciding that a snowball fight was the perfect activity for Wednesday afternoon. For the benefit of the Muggle neighbours, she transfigured a dozen ice boxes and filled them with their frozen munitions. Getting pelted with snowballs in a t-shirt and shorts was definitely surreal, even if the cold projectiles were a pleasant relief during the heatwave.

Tonks' parents came home half an hour into the skirmish and quickly created their own armoury. The following bombardment caught the younger generation completely off guard and forced Harry and Dora to make common cause against their new enemies. The battle ended when one of Dora's projectiles got tangled in her mother's hair and would not move from there due to a sneaky sticking charm. Edward found the entire thing hilarious until his wife smacked him with her strands, the snowball still stuck there. That shattered the ball and the sticking charm then attached her hair to his shirt. Ted gave his daughter a thumbs up and kissed Andromeda's forehead before cancelling the spell.

* * *

But then it was Friday and the group of four apparated to Holyhead. The "stadium" was quite the attraction on its own and made Harry stare in amazement before the match even began. Four rafts, floating around the goal posts half a mile west of Holyhead Breakwater, were the anchor for a tangle of metal catwalks and stands, hanging directly above the Irish Sea. The gentle rocking of the sea was odd at first but became barely noticeable after a few minutes as there were more interesting things to pay attention to. The area between the stands was easily twice as large as the Hogwarts pitch and a boat selling merchandise was anchored next to the largest raft, which usually seated three thousand diehard Harpy fans with season tickets. Venice made an entrance trailing light blue smoke which matched their uniforms while the Lithuanians wore red and gold. This confused Harry somewhat because most spectators wore green and yellow before he remembered that those were the Harpy colours.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Holyhead. Today the World Cup finally reached Wales. Our seven already trashed South Africa with a whopping 560 to 90 in Puddlemere so let's give our guests a warm welcome. Venice is lead by captain and Keeper _da Canal_ , with _D'Este_ , Favri and _Rossi_ as Chasers, _Vitturi_ seeking and _Contarini_ as well as _Natale_ as Beaters."

"And opposing them are the European Youth Champions of 93, Lithuania. Coach _Jaglinskiené_ certainly surprised more than a few experts when she fielded this squad but here they are. Captain _Paulauskaité_ leading her fellow chasers _Jonatis_ and _Minkuté_. Protecting them are _Oginskis_ and _Ramius_ while _Kalnietis_ is supposed to keep the rings clear. And last but not least _Rimsaité_!"

The crowd became louder and louder until finally the balls were released by the Irish referee and the match began. The noise was something Harry couldn't have imagined without experiencing it. The Hogwarts pitch could be loud and there were ten times more wizards and witches clapping and shouting here, often magically amplified. All the people were buzzing with excitement and a loud cheer went up when blue and red players launched themselves at the Quaffle.

" _Paulauskaité_ takes possession and shoots up, making a dash across the field. But she goes high above the goals, _Contarini_ shoots a Bludger at her, but too little too late because she already passed down to _Jonatis_ , who is completely free and lops the Quaffle through the left ring," the commentator's voice echoed over the water and Harry was awed by the quick play and the amount of magic necessary to maintain and conceal the entire complex.

"0:10 Lithuanian and _da Canal_ tries to send _Favri_ on a quick counter but beautifully intercepted by _Minkuté_ and she plays it back to _Jonatis_ who shoots, no he lays it off for _Paulauskaité_ who swoops in from the left. _D_ _a Canal_ is caught off guard and it's 0:20. Ruthless execution we saw from the captain there and Lithuania looks like they'll win the game before Venice even gets into their half."

"Yeah, the Venetian Keeper doesn't look too happy with her team. She's yelling at _d'Este_ while _Favri_ takes possession. Lithuania is caught out of position and it looks like it comes down to _Favri_ against _Kalnietis -_ Ohhhh, that hurt. Pinpoint Bludger work almost throws _Favri_ of his broom and _Kalnietis_ passes to _Paulauskaité_ , who plays a long ball to _Jonatis_. _Jonatis_ faints right, the Quaffle bounces of the ring but _Paulauskaité_ is there and fumbles it in for another ten points. 0:30 and we are not even five minutes in."

Harry watched the game with utter amazement as the crowd pushed the Lithuanians further and further. Most had not been rooting for a team but for a good match and the team from Eastern Europe delivered just that. Despite the large pitch, the pace was a lot faster than during the games Harry played at Hogwarts. He knew that the Harpies were famous for their numerous quick passes which created the openings they needed. But Lithuania had a different strategy which nonetheless led to the same results. They were successfully drawing their opponents apart by hugging the stands and making incredibly long passes. It took Harry some time to figure out that they were simply using their forward momentum to throw the ball a hundred yards and the Venetians had no idea how to counter that tactic. Their own offence looked competent enough, battering their way through the lighter set of chasers with relative ease but _Kalnietis_ , the Lithuanian keeper skillfully defended his loops by putting early pressure on the attackers. After ten minutes he made three saves and caused a fourth attempt to sail harmlessly past the goalposts.

When the score reached 0:80 a timeout was called and the Venetians were able to get back into the game afterwards, stalling the Lithuanian lead at 70 points.

"30:100 and Jonatis with the quick counter, attacked by _Favri_ but the Quaffle is safely in _Paulauskaité's_ hands, dodges a Bludger, looks like she's going to try her luck against Marcella. Pass back to Jonatis who sees _Minkuté_ coming in from below. With the keeper harmless behind her back she makes it 30:110."

"Now Venice in possession with D'Este waiting for his team to form up. Looks like Rimsaité tried a faint but Vitturi is not following her so she levels out again. _Favri_ gets hit by a Bludger but can pass it to Rossi…"

It happened so fast that Harry, like most spectators, just noticed that Rimsaité was onto something when she completed a quick turn and the whistle sounded.

" - _D'Este_ with the attempt - wait, what? Looks like _Rimsaité_ didn't faint after all. She caught the Snitch uncontested and I don't think I was not the only one who didn't see that coming. Out! Over! The game is over. Venice defeated with 30:260. _Vitturi_ grimaces but that one is his fault."

"That was a nice combination of the Split S and an Immelmann from the Lithuanian seemer, what's her name again? Rim- something, right?" Edward shouted over the deafening celebrations of the mostly neutral fans who had gotten what they had come for.

"Dad, no one who plays Quidditch knows what an Immelmann turn is. But where were the Venetian Beaters?"

"It was pretty much a five versus seven. They tried to defend their chasers but that put them out of the game for most of it."

"How can they make accurate plays across the entire pitch?" Harry wanted to know. While Rimsaité's catch was unexpected it was not as spectacular as the 100 yard crosses the Lithuanians performed with ease. If Angelina, Alicia and Katie could do just half of that, the House Cup would stay in Gryffindor for the next few years.

"All their plays were pre-planned manoeuvres. At the beginning of every attack, they had these small gestures which tell everyone where they need to go. Cissy had that idea back when we were on the team but it takes weeks to get them right. You are not passing to another player, you are throwing the Quaffle somewhere and rely on your teammate to be there. We practised all summer but only got five plays working," Andi explained but the melancholic expression she had whenever she mentioned her childhood, was missing. "And that was enough to win each game. Your father was new on the Gryffindor team and I haven't seen James look that lost ever since we cleaned them out by over four hundred points."

* * *

The next day saw them in Holyhead again but this time the match did not last five minutes. Japan just scored the first goal of the day when Hansen dashed towards her regrouping team and, after a corkscrew, picked the small golden ball out of the air. Holstein won 150 to 10 and the spectators were not happy about the short and uneventful match. The Harpy manager, seeing the possibility of a PR stunt, quickly organised an impromptu game between his second squad and Holstein's reserve team. It took an hour to get everything ready but most guests, Harry included, did not mind the wait.

"Don't expect too much from this," Andromeda dryly warned. "Holstein does not have many inhabitants and while they have a solid first squad their reserve is rather lacklustre. The beaters are not even professional players."

Her prediction turned out to be false, at least as far as Harry was concerned. Sure, Holstein was torn apart by Holyhead II, but the second Harpy team showed some truly outstanding flying and beautiful combinations at breakneck speeds. The German team kept fighting for nearly two hours until Müller did them a mercy and caught the Snitch after a perfectly executed Fillmore feint. It did, however, have little impact on the final score since they still lost 210 to 470.

* * *

There was no match scheduled for Sunday so his aunt, after a long talk with Dora, decided to walk him through his Potions essay and Harry was surprised that he understood most of it the first time. Leanne had tried that once back in Hogwarts but despite her almost prodigious abilities, she could not even explain her thought process if her life depended on it. Seeing this Andromeda decided to test her nephew and it became obvious that Snape was still an abysmal teacher.

With Andromeda's instructions, Harry's second attempt at a skin-weaving potion went considerably better. However, her method of preparing all ingredients in advance made brewing Potions even duller and Harry knew that despite all the shortcuts and the almost perfect result the subject would never be not one of his favourites. You could, after all, buy Potions made by a professional and if that was not an option you were probably not in a state to brew something on your own.

On Monday, Dora went over three years of Charms and Transfiguration with her cousin. He was adequate in the later, performing most spells correctly but without any vigour. Charms, on the other hand, seemed to be Harry's forte. While not producing the flashiest results she had seen, he could perform the spells far quicker than somebody in his age should be able to.

The next morning was dedicated to Defence and it was a rude awakening. Harry was the best in his year and had a pretty good grasp on the material due after the holidays. But that knowledge would only get him killed, the Tonks family unanimously announced.

"It is safer to deal with any of those pests from far away," Ted advised calmly but his wife showed no such restraints.

"The Riddikulus-Spell is as ridiculous as the name suggests and no self-respecting witch or wizard would use it."

"What am I supposed to use against boggarts then?"

"There's plenty to choose from. The piercing and blasting curses are your best bet, but pretty much anything from the cutting curse up to magical lances would do the trick," Andromeda explained in her best teacher's voice.

"You really don't want to leave them alive. They shift through your brain to find your biggest fear. If you would do that to somebody else, it is called mind rape and earns you some quality time with the Dementors of Azkaban," Edward added.

"But the Patronus Charm works against those, right?"

"Yes, besides Fiendfyre it is the only spell that drives them off and you really want to stay away from the cursed flames until you have more control over your magic. Bella nearly killed herself when our parents made us practice it." Upon seeing Harry's confused expression Andi explained further. "My parents had very degraded morals. They forced us to practice the Unforgivables until we could cast them silently."

"And I am once again glad that I never met my in-laws," Ted shuddered.

"Oh hush, even Bella was nice to you - Well after I convinced her that you are not taking me away from her."

"I was not talking about your sister - But tell me, Harry, how did you learn that spell? I remember it being the tiebreaker for an O in the NEWTs."

And so Harry told them about Lupin's lessons only to get a vastly different reaction to what he anticipated.

"What a moron. Dementors feasting on happiness? They live of dread and desperation and they make everyone miserable so they get an open buffet. How did he explain that a manifestation of those feelings drives them off then?"

"Well, he didn't really - " Harry tried to protest. Even if Professor Lupin had gotten the theory mixed up, he still taught him the spell, and that had to count for something.

"And it is not even memories that fuel the spell, but emotions. The memory thing is part of the beginner's instruction and by the time you are past the blurry shield you are supposed to use the emotion," Andromeda added to her daughter's outburst.

"So I just have to concentrate on feeling happy?"

"It has to be pure happiness, not just being in a good mood because you saved two galleons on your new robe. And it has to be a strong feeling because you turn that happiness into a weapon."

"Can I try?"

"Sure. Remember, it is the feeling that you need to focus on, not what happened that you felt that way."

Harry took a moment to think about happiness. Truth be told he has had none with the Dursleys and even Hogwarts had been a double-edged sword because for each moment of joy there had also been pain and suffering. He recalled the strongest moments of happiness in the castle. Having friends for the first time, his first Quidditch game, learning about the ancient magic his mother invoked with her death out of pure love, Hermione waking up after her petrification, winning the Quidditch cup and Sirius telling him that he'd get him away from the Dursleys.

But also more recent events, like the instant acceptance of his family, estranged as they might have been, and Dora hugging him because, according to her, he looked like he needed it. Harry had to admit that his cousin was a great hugger, despite not squeezing him all that tightly. She preferred to hold him close and then ruffle his hair or pat his back and it made him feel wonderful.

 **"Expecto Patronum!"**

A spectral shape jumped out of his wand and circled them several times before it faded into mist and disappeared.

"What was that?"

"Well, it was not entirely clear but it looked like a mammal. No wings, no fins but other than that I can't really tell."

"I guess I have to try again."

"But only after you finished breakfast Harry," Andromeda said and he was happy to comply. The novelty of using magic whenever he wanted had worn off after a week and the bread rolls with jam were tasty enough to accept the sentence of eating another one.

* * *

Thursday also brought a new experience for Harry when Dora took him to Canterbury to see Forrest Gump. The newly released movie had been praised by critics and Harry liked it and the popcorn had been great as well. His cousin, however, did not share that opinion and was quite vocal about her displeasure.

"What a fucking cunt! Shagging her way through the United States, toying with the poor sod's feelings, shagging some more, give the guy some false hope before disappearing once more to have even more unprotected sex with random dudes and only contacting the father of her child years later, when her sexual escapades got her terminally ill. I mean, I like sex, probably more than most people, but that was cruel and there's a reason why you should use protection…"

"Protection?"

"We will talk about that before you return to Hogwarts, don't worry," Tonks said in a reassuring voice but the effect was destroyed by her predatory grin. "But if anybody - And I mean anybody - Treats you like Jenny they are not worth the effort, remember that. Run, don't waste your time with her. There is plenty of fish in the sea, no need to pine after human trash."

"Isn't that a little harsh?" the Gryffindor wanted to know and was surprised when his cousin put both hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in the eye, her purple eyes shimmering with anger.

"Harry, if someone tries that shite with you just tell me and I'll make sure they will _never_ do it again."

Luckily, no other witch or wizard was nearby because in that moment Dora's hiss was a perfect imitation of her mad aunt and the black hair, long and curly to match Harry's unruly mop, did not help in that regard. Despite the unspoken threat of unholy vengeance, it made Harry happy because he finally had people caring about him. The feeling was similar to a blanket on a cold day, heavenly warm and simply safe. And if Dora was being this protective he really did not want to know what Aunt Andi would do to any "Jenny".

* * *

Friday the eight was the date of the last group stage match of Group C. On the first day, most spectators had been wearing the Harpy's green and gold but by now most had picked up either the red and gold of Lithuania or, in smaller numbers, Holstein's scarlet trimmed silver.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard the centre of Welsh Quidditch, welcome to Holyhead. Both teams are yet to be defeated and almost guaranteed a spot in the best 16, but this match will still be a nailbiter. Today's winner gets a free ride to the Quarterfinals with a training session against Flanders in between, while humiliation at the hands of our Irish neighbours awaits the defeated team. Should Lithuania lose with more than four hundred eighty points they are out and Japan will meet the Greens. Holstein's cushion is smaller but three hundred and fifty is still a comfortable safety margin. To be honest, this competition has already been far better than what I've expected. Venice might have lost all their games but at least they are not the Cannons. While they were cleared out by Holstein and Lithuania they showed some remarkable fighting spirit against Japan in their close 430 to 410 defeat. And Venice actually won all six of their qualifiers and that's six victories more than our orange training dummies had in the last five years."

A roar of laughter followed this jab against Chudley and Harry felt some pitty for Ron, whose favourite team was apparently the verbal punching bag of the whole sport and not just having _"a bad year"_.

"And here they come! Captain _Lina Paulauskaité_ once more leading _Nojus Jonatis_ and _Rasa Minkuté_ into the fray. _Marko Oginskis_ and _Rytas Ramius_ are watching their backs while _Kalnietis_ and _Gabija Rimsaité_ will play their parts. Their performance has been nothing short of astonishing so far and the critics have been shut up by the youngest team in this competition. All of them have received numerous offers from European top teams and as of Yesterday, _Lina_ is our newest Harpy. Ladies and Gentlemen lets give her a thundering welcome!"

The crowd went wild for several minutes, pushing the concealing magic to its limits. While there were spectators from all over the world present, the majority were still Holyhead fans and more than happy about the latest addition to their team.

"And our German guests, with keeper _Franz Möller_ leading them out over the waves. _Möller_ played a superb season with QV Königsberg, making it into the European Semifinals and conceding only seven goals on average throughout sixty-one games. _Mark Petersen_ and _Fritz Jensen_ form his last line of defence while _Claudia Schmidt_ , _Marlene Thomsen_ and _Simon Andersen_ are Holstein's backbone. And finally recovered from her shattered leg, _Petra Hansen_. Her quick catch against Japan and wonderful interferences during the Venice match made it pretty clear that she is back to her old self."

"Today's referee, Carlos de la Cruz, just completed his final examination of the balls and the game is about to begin. There's the Golden Snitch, followed by the Bludgers. The Quaffle goes up and they are away."

"There's a furball and possession changes back and forth. _Jonatis_ gets away and he is alone against _Möller_ and _Möller_ shows why he's one of Europe's best with his aggressive defending. _Jonatis_ lost the Quaffle but gets a Bludger instead. Meanwhile, _Thomsen_ and _Schmidt_ are already in the Lithuanian half. _Oginskis_ chooses to slam one of the iron balls at _Hansen_ for some reason, misses and Holstein gets an easy two on one goal. Zero ten and _Paulauskaité_ tries to get some control back."

"Now Lithuania is making the game wide with _Minkuté_ flying above the guest stands while her teammates spread out but the German team is not impressed and they form a tight defence around their goals, letting them make the long crosses. Passed to _Paulauskaité_ , then to _Jonatis_ who crosses to _Minkuté_. _Thomsen_ tries comes out to intercept - And that's a foul. Looks like _Thomsen_ hit _Minkuté's_ shoulder with her foot and Lithuania gets a penalty. Already taken and _Jonatis_ fails to get around _Möller_ , _Schmidt_ catches the rebound but _Paulauskaité_ takes the Quaffle from him and scores. Ten both."

"Now _Andersen_ makes a dash for it, gets nailed by _Oginskis_ and _Jonatis_ shoots only to be denied once more by _Möller_. If this will go on the boy will end up with nightmares about Holstein's captain. _Thomsen_ with the counter, gets around _Minkuté_ , only _Kalnietis_ remaining, who takes an aggressive stance and gets outplayed by a pass to _Schmidt_ , who scores. Ten to Twenty and now Lithuania back in possession."

" _Paulauskaité_ takes matters into her own hands now and charges down the field. Dodges a Bludger and goes around _Schmidt_ and it's just her and the Keeper. Come on _Lina_ , she shoots, no wait, that was a faint, _Möller_ dived right and _Paulauskaité_ leisurely throws it through the middle hoop. Twenty both!"

The match fell into a pattern at this point. The Baltic team breached Holstein's defences with relative ease but their keeper kept them in the game with countless saves which would have made Oliver Wood green with envy. Holstein's offence, on the other hand, was based on quick counters which were not as frequent as Lithuania's attempts but more successful.

Two hours and fifty-eight goals later exhaustion became the biggest issue as mistakes became more common. The breakneck speed from the opening hour had faded away and was replaced by a more controlled pace but the game was far from boring. Harry was amazed at how well the Seekers were helping their Chasers by being decoys and drawing Bludgers away from their team or playing chicken with their opponents. The Gryffindor saw over a dozen plays which he wanted to try in the upcoming season.

"And now Holstein with _Thomsen_ coming in from the right, crosses to - IS THAT THE SNITCH? _Hansen_ in a corkscrew dive, _Rimsaité_ is on the other side of the pitch and does not look like she knows what _Hansen_ saw. Holstein's seeker now with an outstretched arm and she - OWWW, that had to hurt. _Hansen_ goes for a swim as _Ramius_ slammed a Bludger at her and hit her square in the back. The referee is flying over to fish her out of the water and it looks like the Snitch disappeared again. Holsteins coach is signalling for a timeout to get his seeker a new broom - AND IT IS OVER. _RIMSAITÉ_ ENDED THE GAME WHEN NO ONE WAS WATCHING HER. LITHUANIA WINS 420 TO 310. What a finish to a spectacular game. I think you all here spent your Galleons wisely when you bought yourself a ticket because that was a game we will be talking about for a long time. Truly a performance worthy of the knockout stage, which will return to Holyhead on the fourteenth - "

* * *

By the time Harry was back in Tonks Hill, he felt utterly exhausted and his throat was hurting from two and a half hours of cheering. So it was quite a surprise when three owls were sitting on the kitchen table. Two of them flew over to him in a blur as soon as he entered the room so Harry needed a moment to realise that one of them was Hedwig, a letter tied around her leg. He had just untied the paper scroll when the other bird pushed the snow owl out of the way and shoved its delivery in front of Harry. Looking at the first one he was surprised that Hermione had written him and even more that Hedwig had somehow known where she was needed. The other letter was from Katie Bell and he knew that his fellow Quidditch Player was mad that he had forgotten about her.

While he was busy with his two letters he did not pay attention to the third and therefore was quite surprised when his aunt groaned before dropping her head on the table.

"I am going to kill you Sirius Black, and it will be slow and painful."

* * *

 **AN:**

Rowling said that the one Galleon can be exchanged for five pounds at Gringotts but that does not stop you from melting down your gold and selling it outside of the magical world. The 1:250 rate is based on the historical price in 1994, at least according to some website I found through Google.

Lithuanian names are quite difficult to come up with since their last names are gendered and the female ones have different endings depending on marital status. If there are any Lithuanians reading this: I hope I got the names right because Google was not all that helpful in this regard.

Remember, there was no time travel / mistaken identity incident in this story and Harry had, at this point, only cast the blurred corporeal Patronus on Malfoy.

When looking over a list of popular movies released in late June/early July 1994 there were really just two choices, Forrest Gump or The Lion King. I went with Forrest Gump because protective Nymphadora is best Nymphadora.


	7. Wizengamot

Andromeda Tonks walked down the corridor towards her Ministry appointed office located on the fifth floor of the underground complex, and once again, fantasised about murdering her cousin. It was his fault that she had to waste a perfectly fine Sunday with a bunch of people whom she wouldn't trust with a Knut, much less spent time with. She even had to get new dress robes on on short notice which had meant wasting even more money on them. Granted the ivory white shirt and trousers, covered by a dark grey coat, were rather striking and the silver ornaments made her look like a 19th-century officer, but that was not the point. The entire mess could be blamed squarely on Sirius' shoulders. Really, what had he been thinking?

The way had not changed since her Uncle Arcturus had taken her here over twenty years ago and the office of House Black looked just like she remembered it. Dark leather armchairs were placed around a blackwood desk and tasteful yet faded tapestries decorated the walls. The only differences were the thick layer of dust settled over everything and the charmed "window" nowadays showed a brick wall because Magical Maintenance had not bothered to renew the spells. Then again, the room looked like no one had been in there for a decade.

"Well Duchess Black, what a pleasant surprise," a sweet voice filled the air and Andromeda jumped back against the door she had just closed.

"Merlin Cissy, are you trying to get yourself cursed?"

"You are getting sloppy Duchess - " Narcissa replied from one of the armchairs and cancelled her disillusionment charm. Her sister put away her wand and rolled her eyes.

"And stop using that title. Even the Wizengamot does no longer recognise them."

"Well Andi, I'm waiting for a story."

"I came home on Friday and an owl from the Department of Families and Inheritances was waiting on the kitchen table. I thought one of our squib relatives died and it was just the usual notice so consider my surprise when the letter said that the current Head of the Blacks abdicated in favour of me."

"Am I right in thinking that our wayward cousin is behind this?"

"Of course, probably thought that he was doing me a favour and that everyone here would bend over for me."

"To be fair, Uncle Arcturus made it look like that and Sirius understanding of complex matters was barely sufficient to remember how to please a witch," Narcissa giggled.

"I still can't believe that you shagged our cousin."

"I didn't want Lucius to be my first and despite his clumsiness, he was a better lover than my dear husband."

"That I can understand but you continued your illicit affair until three hours before your wedding. You grew up together!"

"And we were both raised in the belief that there was nothing wrong with marrying your cousin. And I still think that there is nothing wrong with love between cousins. Or an aunt and her niece for that matter."

"Our uncle could blackmail half of his voting block and the other half owed him favours or he simply bought the votes he wanted. I don't have three decades to set up such a network nor do I want to," Andromeda said to steer the conversation away from the explicit details her sister was very fond to recall.

"Then declare yourself free of faction and just vote following your own interests. You don't need to align House Black with anybody. We have a tradition of doing just that."

"I won't get anything done if I do that."

"Do you even want to change that much? To raise the Red Banner of the Revolution so to speak?"

"Oh Cissy, what a delightful muggle expression. But tell me, where did you pick it up?"

"I've read a fascinating autobiography by one Ivan Pavlovich about his life as a KGB wizard."

"KGB wizard? That does sound fictional to me. They were a Muggle agency after all."

"Yes, but these Soviets were smart Muggles. They knew how powerful magic is and that for the right incentive Wizards are happy to help them out. But that's enough talk about literature, we have more important things to worry about. Namely, how you are going to deal with the press when they will ambush you once today's session is concluded," Narcissa replied as if they were merely discussing the weather.

"Why would the press hound me?"

"Oh, besides the fact that for the first time in a decade there is a Black sitting in the magical Assembly? And the fact that she is the same Black who was thrown out of the family two decades ago? Well, there's this delightful rumour going around that you adopted a certain Harry Potter."

"Well, I guess I technically did…"

"What in the name of Morgana's nipples possessed you to do that? Have you checked your brain for spell-damage recently? Publicly attacking Dumbledore's plans is political suicide and…" Narcissa shouted until her sister forcefully cut in.

"It was not about politics. The relatives Dumbledore entrusted with Harry are sick excuses of human beings that would fit in splendidly with our brothers in law. Sirius begged me to take him away from those Muggles and you know what he endured before he ran to Auntie Dorea."

"They can't be that bad Andi…"

"Why? Because Dumbledore chose them? It was pretty much them or Lucius and that is not a decision I would want to make. They locked the boy in a closet for fuck's sake! And with closet, I mean a smaller space than your house elves have. Harry shows signs of long-term malnutrition and they even set a dog on him. A dog Cissy! I am really tempted to use them as practice targets for the Cruciatus or maybe the organ-liquefying curse. They had another child and they spoiled it more than Lucius could imagine while treating Harry worse than a house elf."

"So all those tales…"

"The novels? Merlin, how can you believe that a four-year-old can defeat a Vampire while they duel on top of the Orient Express?"

"I was talking about the rumours how Dumbledore was grooming Potter, raising him as an apprentice or giving him advanced lessons."

"All made up," Andromeda snapped and took a deep breath. "Harry is fairly good at defensive magic and charms but his most advanced lesson was studying with two friends who are in the year above him and a questionable yet effective instruction on the Patronus charm. He didn't even know about magic before he turned eleven."

"You took care of that problem, right?"

"They should be arrested by now. Because we wanted to spare Harry the experience of having a defender rip holes into everything he says, Nymphadora decided to frame them for something else. I think it was drug trafficking."

"How positively devious of you two."

"To be honest, it is mostly my daughter's doing. It's quite easy to fabricate big amounts of muggle drugs with the Gemini charm - There is so much of Bella in her that sometimes I'm afraid - "

"Which Bella?"

"Our Bella, before the Lestranges took her. Seeing Nymphadora with Harry brings back memories of how we used to watch over you."

"She certainly has our sister's appetite. And her tendency to act before thinking. I've read her Academy evaluations - Don't look so scandalised, my husband is not the only one with connections in this place and I like to keep an eye on my favourite niece - "

"She is your only niece for quite a few degrees of relation. And the Academy helped her to settle down considerably."

"That is good to hear. Although you will get a lot of heat for it nonetheless."

"Trust me, that is the one argument I am perfectly prepared for. And should anyone of Dumbledore's supporters bring up our sister I will rip them apart."

"Then we only need to worry about you accidentally insulting half of the Wizengamot," Narcissa said with feigned relief.

"Why would that be an issue?"

"Because, dear sister mine, you are as subtle as the Siege-engine curse. Some of the sitting members are complete morons but if you tell them that you are going to make a lot of enemies, really fast."

"I am not going to tell anyone that he's a moron. I have more tact than that."

"And if Lord Zabini approaches you about the latest version of his generation sustainability law?"

"Generation sustainability law?" Andromeda echoed, having never heard that phrase before.

"That's his fancy term for free use, or Ministry sanctioned rape if you want to be blunt. What will you do if Lord Parkinson proposes a marriage contract between his grand niece and your new son?"

"Alright, alright I get it, I don't have the patience to deal with inbred idiots. And Harry is not my son. I am his guardian yes, he became a part of my family, but he does not see me as his mother, something I am very glad about. I may play the role of a mother, but I do not have the right to call myself that. The boy has issues due to those pieces of human waste and I am honestly surprised that he is not an emotional wreck by now. And then there's Hogwarts. After the stories Harry told, I am really glad that Nymphadora is already out of that place. There was a Basilisk on the loose in a school full of children, orchestrated by the stupidity of your husband."

"Are you sure he is not exaggerating?"

"He still has trace amounts of the venom in his blood. Harry only survived due to some freak circumstances involving Phoenix tears and after telling the staff, they did not even bother with as much as a diagnostic spell. The Hogwarts healer missed clear signs of domestic abuse and failed to write the required reports to the Magical Health Board, I already checked that. The first thing I'll do once this waste of time is over is getting Pomfrey's license revoked. I hoped to use the time before the session to sort out the necessary paperwork, but alas, someone had different plans for me," Andromeda finished in a passable imitation of Dumbledore. "So to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Does your sister need a reason to visit you?" the younger witch asked in a sickly sweet tone.

"Cissy, I've known you for over thirty years. I can tell that this is not a social visit."

"Maybe you are sharp enough to survive in the political arena after all. And you were right, I am here for a specific reason. I want you to dissolve my marriage."

"When?" Andromeda asked after a pregnant pause. She had been wondering if she could talk her sister to take that step, but apparently, there was no need for convincing. Then again, Narcissa had already washed out the atrocious blonde dye from her hair, so maybe this decision was not a spur of the moment thing.

"As soon as possible. I know Lucius is up to no good. He and his friends from the good old times are cooking up something big and I do not want to end up in Azkaban because they got themselves caught."

"How big?"

"I don't know, but there's a lot of hired wands. McNair spent the last three weeks travelling through Eastern Europe to find people willing to kill for gold so it is going to be worse than their annual Muggle hunting."

"Azkaban?" Andromeda suggested half-heartedly. Such an undertaking was beyond the blonde man but as his diary plot proved Lucius was able to cause destruction far beyond his magical abilities purely by accident.

"Too risky. My money is in the World Cup final. They built that enormous stadium for one hundred thousand wizards and there are big campgrounds surrounding it filled with easy targets. The Ministry does not have the means to provide sufficient security."

"That is bad."

"It was only a question of time before they would do something drastic."

"And there's nothing we can do about it?"

"No. Everyone knows that my dear husband was controlled with the Imperius-Curse so he cannot possibly plan a Death Eater attack. And should we somehow convince the DMLE that some incident is about to occur he'll simply claim that, as an upstanding member of our society, it was his duty to find out as much as possible about that heinous crime. Or they shift their target and raze a random village."

"You are probably right, Lucius always had the talent to avoid the consequences of his actions. But have you really thought it through? You will lose any rights to Draco if you go through with the divorce?"

"Yes, and that is why I have not slept since I got the notice from the Department of Inheritances. I love my son, I forced myself to endure Lucius for sixteen years for his sake, but at the same time, I do not feel like I have had any impact on him. I tried Andi, I tried and I failed - He is a duplicate of his father - The same egoism - the same lack of compassion."

Seeing her sister's hands shaking Andromeda stepped around the dusty armchair and put her arm around Narcissa. The younger witch grabbed it and pulled Andromeda down to her, burrowing her head into her sister's neck.

"Draco spent most of the last year trying to get a hippogriff executed. I begged him to stop, I begged his father, I told them how much they mean to me and about our last vacation together as sisters at the farm in Asturias where we used to sneak out after midnight and go flying on them. They just shrugged me off and said that the beast has to be punished. I had to write Dumbledore for him to get his head out of his arse before he remembered that it was his duty to take care of any legal action resulting from lessons at his school - "

Narcissa paused to take a deep breath. She would not cry, not now.

"I knew Lucius has always been cruel, but where does a thirteen-year-old take so much hate and loathing from? It was barely a scratch, we all had worse at the farm and that didn't stop us. I look at my son and after everything I did for him, there is nothing from me in Draco. I let Lucius have his way with me for fifteen years and what - "

"Cissy, you said it yourself. You tried to steer your child for his entire life. You spent the last decade making sacrifices. Maybe a few months of separation will make Draco realise the error of his ways. He is still young and sometimes a mother has to let her son stumble for him to learn. Just be there and help him back on his feet. And should Lucius get caught, you will have Draco back before the holidays are over," Andromeda cut in but her words sounded hollow, even to her. Really, what was one supposed to say in that situation? However, Narcissa clung to that statement like a lifeline.

"You are right, of course, you are right. Oh, if only Mother could see us now. The disgraced daughter being the only one whose life is not in ruins - "

"Your life is not in ruins."

"I am about to lose my son and my husband. I have almost no gold of my own and no place to call home."

"Don't worry about that. No sister of mine will starve or become homeless while I can prevent it. Perhaps one of the Black holiday homes? You could even start painting again."

"Maybe - "

"Just imagine standing on the terrace of the Maspalomas Villa, a light breeze blowing through your hair as you take inspiration from the dunes and the sea, the sound of waves and soft music."

"That sound lovely. And I could wear a - How are they called again? A bike-iny? I could wear that again."

"My dear sister, it will please you to know that Spain considers the upper half of a Bikini purely optional."

The following giggle proved that she succeeded in taking her sister's mind away from any dark thoughts for the moment. But it also raised the question of why she was the only normal person in a family full of nymphomaniacs. With a resigned sigh, Andromeda vanished the dust from the office and began to work. There had to be a loophole in the marriage contract, there always was. The contract parties might not be able to use it, but the Head of the Family was not limited by such technicalities. And while she was at it she might as well take care of the other contract.

* * *

"The forty-second session of the year 1994 is called to order. We have three changes among our ranks. Once these are confirmed there are seventeen matters awaiting a vote. Does anybody have any objections? No? Then let us begin."

Andromeda looked at the wizard leading the procedures. Acting Warlock Smith, a short man heavily burdened by his ninety-seven years, did not have the patience for any kind of flourish and his annoyance was clearly audible. Most delegates were looking at her with some degree of curiosity, wondering just who she was, or alternatively, why Bellatrix Lestrange was standing there in clean clothes, free of restraints.

The Wizengamot was meeting in a rectangular room on Level Two made out of polished granite blocks. Three of the four sides were filled with seats separated by the entrances from the podium of the Chief Warlock and his staff consisting of aides and scribes. It was illuminated by a phalanx of torches while the ranks were just dimly lit. The walls were decorated with ornate tapestries depicting important events from the magical history of the Isles, from the Kingdom of Avalon to the violent end of countless Goblin Rebellions and the Battle of Numengrad.

"Since our Chief Warlock is busy with his very important ICW obligations in Tahiti, it falls to me to announce all new members of this august body. Henry Abbott is taking over the vacant seat of House Abbott after the demise of the late Lord Franklin Abbott. Augustus Ogden is the temporary regent of House Ogden while Lord Brandon Ogden recovers from a mild case of Dragon Pox. And Andromeda Tonks-Black takes over the seat of House Black after the previous Lord Black abdicated and named her his heir. Mister Doge, you are relieved of your duty to this assembly. Please vacate this room since you are no longer a member of the Wizengamot."

"Objection Acting Warlock, I am sitting in for House Black in agreement with the Chief Warlock," an elderly, bulky wizard with little hair left threw in and about one-third of the Wizengamot members murmured their agreement.

"And on which grounds was this arrangement made?"

"My father was the fourth cousin of a former Lord Black," the man replied, pushing his chest out as if a relation to the Blacks was something uncommon or something to be proud of.

"And how does that give you the right to deny the current Head of House Black."

"Andromeda Tonks cannot lead House Black. Everyone knows that she was cast out for marrying a Muggleborn."

"Lady Tonks-Black?" the acting leader of the Wizengamot asked, reverting back to his bored tone. Apparently, this was not as exciting as the old man had expected.

"That is not true. Lord Arcturus Black acknowledged my marriage and paid a dowry, following our century-old traditions. I was not cast out until my uncle Orion Black took over the headship of House Black."

"So she has no claim," Doge threw in victoriously and again agreement echoed through the chamber.

"Thirteen days ago I received two letters from the Department of Inheritances, one announcing that I was reinstated into the Black Family and another which named me the heir. My daughter was recognised as a family member as well. I do not know who the previous Lord Black was, nor did I expect him to abdicate within a week. I am merely here following a summon from the Department of Inheritances."

"I do not believe that," the now suspended proxy of House Black spluttered.

"Mr Doge, I have copies of the mentioned letters right here. Whoever may have been the previous Lord Black, he filled the necessary paperwork and put his seal on the documents. That makes Andromeda Tonks-Black Head of House Black."

"Preposterous! Dumbledore will hear about this."

"Given that he should preside over the next session, I hope so. It is his duty to keep track of the Members after all."

"Acting Warlock, I must object. Andromeda Tonks is not fit to be a member of this honourable institution," a new voice shouted.

"And why should that be Lord Diggory?"

"She kidnapped Harry Potter."

"Order! Order!" Smith shouted over the resulting deluge of noises. The statement had been meant to be inflammatory and it unleashed a firestorm of reactions.

"Lord Diggory, those are serious accusations. Do you have any evidence to support this claim?"

"She stole his guardianship."

"This is going to be a long day, isn't it?" the acting head of the Wizengamot grumbled before turning to on the man next to him. "Aide, get me a copy of that guardianship case."

"Lady Black, are you aware what this man is referring to?"

"He probably heard that, as of last Monday, I am Harry's guardian. But that is confidential Ministry information and I am curious how Lord Diggory learned of it"

"Since all ministerial records are confidential I am interested in this as well. Lady Bones, see that your department investigates this."

"Yes, Acting Warlock."

"Lady Black, if I may ask this question, just how did you adopt young Potter? We were led to believe that Chief Warlock Dumbledore was his magical guardian and therefore any adoption would have to be approved by him," a mid-aged witch who looked like a Carrow asked.

"Our esteemed Chief Warlock was right when he said that he was Harry Potter's magical guardian because the Chief Warlock is the _acting_ magical guardian of all orphans not in the care of a relative who finished their apprenticeship. This _acting_ guardianship does not give him the right to stop any relative from taking over the actual guardianship."

"Just how many witches and wizards were qualified for Mr Potter's guardianship?" the acting Warlock wanted to know.

"On 31st of October 1981, there were eleven people fulfilling the requirements of the Familiar Care Decree of 1349. Two of those were arrested shortly afterwards, three died and another was declared dead."

"But why now? Why wait thirteen years?" Diggory shouted.

"My Interest in Harry Potter's guardianship is well documented. There ought to be records of Tonks against the Chief Warlock and Revision of Tonks against the Chief Warlock stored in the Ministry Archives," Andromeda replied, feeling far less confident than she sounded. She had expected Dumbledore and the grandfatherly routine she remembered from her Hogwarts time, not a barrage of questions asked before she was even seated.

"Acting Warlock?"

"There's no need to dig those records up. I remember those cases. Lady Black is telling the truth regarding these incidents."

 _'He does not believe me in the other matters but he cares too little about it to ask questions. This whole business just got much easier,'_ Andi thought as the aide returned with the files.

"These documents are in order. Mister Diggory, your objection is denied and the DMLE will investigate the origin of your information. Now that the introductions are done, Lord Abbott do you declare allegiance to any faction?"

"House Abbott continues its standing as a steadfast ally of House Jones," the blonde man replied but was drowned out by the turmoil in the ranks as the members discussed these new developments.

"Lady Black, do you declare allegiance to any faction?"

"No, House Black will remain independent."

That certainly ruffled some feathers since almost every member expected that she would join their opponents. After all, the Blacks were as dark as their name would suggest but she was the _black_ sheep, so obviously she would be on the _light_ side.

Walking to the neutral seats Andromeda could feel the pure loathing as she passed the conservative block. It did not take longer than five seconds but the hateful glares felt like boiling water on her neck. To most of them, she was nothing but a blood traitor bitch who just usurped the Noble House of Black. No, she would not make any friends there.

Meanwhile, the "light side" probably saw her as a traitor as well since she refused to join one of their factions. Add her adoption of Harry Potter, which went against Dumbledore's plans, and you had half of the members already hating her guts. Narcissa had been right, offending these people was even easier than it sounded. Well, at least she now reached a comfortable chair next to Lady Lewis, a brunette barely twenty years old. Which gave her the time to backtrack her thoughts to Dumbledore's plans because she could not even guess what the old man was up to. And how did letting Harry Potter be abused factor into his plans? Letting vicious Muggles abuse a magical child to push some anti Muggle legalisation sounded something the "mind controlled" Death Eaters would cook up, not the only Wizard the Dark Lord ever feared.

Andromeda locked eyes with Lucius Malfoy for a moment and had to fight the urge to laugh. While he was sitting on his plush chair, sneering down at her, his former wife was back at Malfoy Manor, grabbing her possessions and preparing her escape. The divorce itself had taken five minutes. The marriage contract stated that conduct disgracing the other family declared it void and that's what she had written on the form. Unless Lucius felt like telling the public what happened on the 30th of May 1993 between him, Harry Potter and that crazy house elf, there was little he could do. And if he did that, Veritaserum would come into play and the divorce became the least of his worries.

Finally, the session began and a number of people presented their cases. A witch from Inverness tried to appeal a court decision regarding her late grandfather's estate. Andromeda voted in her favour, but few others did and so the Scotswoman went home empty-handed.

The next vote concerned the salary of the Wizengamot and money proved to be the universal language everyone spoke. Andromeda, being unaware that she was getting paid for this waste of time, was one of the three votes against the increase. She was content with the one hundred twenty Galleons Comet paid her each month and together with Edward's earnings it was more than enough for a good lifestyle. Really, how anyone in the magical world could suffer poverty was beyond her. Even the thirty Galleons a shop assistant earned in Norwich's magical district could be traded for over seven thousand Pound Sterling. Then again, the notoriously broke Weasley family blew close to two hundred thousand pounds on a vacation to Egypt instead of fixing the hovel they called home. The Tonks matriarch had the misfortune of seeing the Burrow once when one of her distant aunts took her to see some distant kin of her own. But apparently, the disregard for financial responsibility and contraceptives were the reason for the Weasley's poverty, not a lacking income.

That might be a little harsh towards those redheaded menaces, but ever since Charlie Weasley wanted to use her daughter to cover his attraction towards other wizards while Nymphadora had genuine feelings for him, Andromeda held the entire family in contempt. And when Harry casually mentioned that Molly Weasley told him about her suspicions that had been abused, but did nothing to change his living condition, the oldest of the Black sisters felt very tempted to see how well she still could control Fiendfyre.

Another ten court decisions were reviewed by the Wizengamot, followed by laws concerning a sale tax for potion ingredients, import tariffs on dragon ingredients and the embargo on flying carpets. Next was a wizard who claimed to be Merlin's heir and that he should, therefore, be King of England. Andromeda wanted to carry that motion only to see his face when somebody told him that the Kingdom of England had ceased to exist in 1707. In the end, common sense defeated humour and the proposal was shot down without a single vote in its favour.

"Is that normal?" Lady Lewis asked Andi and the older witch could immediately tell that her neighbour had no idea how the political game was played.

"Well, my great uncle used to say that there was the occasional crackpot."

"Oh right, I forgot you were new. You just look like you fit in here perfectly."

It was meant as a compliment and yet Andromeda felt insulted. She was not one of them.

The last vote of the day, an amendment to the Floo Act of 1915, was over moments later. The acting Warlock closed the forty-second session and all members hurried out of the tall room. Andromeda sighed since there was one last thing to do.

* * *

 **AN:**

You know all the stories where Harry becomes Lord Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Merlin-Habsburg-Hohenzollern-Ming? The ones where getting those titles alone means that Harry has infinite political powers and everyone bends over because he is Lord Emperor Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Merlin-Habsburg-Hohenzollern-Ming? I tried a more realistic approach here. Andromeda can do the divorces because she has dirt on Malfoy and no one is going to publicly claim that Lestrange is an honourable man. Other than that she is just a voting member of the Wizengamot, whose vote counts as much as anybody else's. Also, there is no huge Black fortune just waiting to be claimed at Gringotts. Most of the Black capital had been invested in real estate but due to years of neglect lost a lot of its value.

Remember that at this point the Malfoys did not have Voldemort as a house-guest for two years and there is no imminent threat to Draco's life so Narcissa does not see the need to stay with her son at any cost. Lucius, for all his faults, cares about Draco and can undoubtedly provide for him.

Also, does anyone here really think that a teenage Sirius wouldn't have sex with Narcissa just to spite Lucius Malfoy, the embodiment of the pureblood elite he loathed? She was attractive, Sirius was a male teenager and that's really all the motivation he needed. The part about Narcissa and Nymphadora, however, was merely a joke aimed to get a rise out of Andromeda.

Maspalomas is a town on the southern shore of Gran Canaria, bordering on Europe's largest sand dunes.


	8. A long day

Harry had a great Sunday, despite Dora and Andromeda being tied up in the Ministry. His uncle took him to the Pool of London, where HMS Belfast was moored near Tower Bridge. The old cruiser had been a sobering experience. Besides a quick peek at Vernon's rifle Harry had actually never seen a weapon so the Belfast's main battery was an impressive sight, despite his Edward telling him that the twenty-five feet long barrels were considered small compared to other ships.

Generally, Ted turned out to be a superb guide who managed to make the most trivial things sound interesting. If was the first time he was alone with his uncle Harry was pleasantly surprised when his initial wariness turned out to be unfounded. His two uncles were nothing alike. Whereas Vernon was rude and quick to anger, Edward seemed to have a never-ending patience, especially when it came to his daughter. Harry couldn't remember a single time when the man had raised his voice, a big difference compared to his time at Privet Drive.

But no matter how intimidating hurling one hundred pounds of death across the northern half of London was, Heathrow Airport outshone it easily. Ted, being the son of an RAF Master Engineer, could tell countless anecdotes and even took him aboard an inland flight to Belfast simply because Harry had never been on an aeroplane before.

Air Travel was a thoroughly different experience compared to anything the Gryffindor knew. Besides the start and landing, it was difficult to tell that they had been airborne at all, not to mention the speeds which made his international standard broomstick look like a lame horse. It was certainly more comfortable than the magical equivalent but aeroplanes lacked the thrill associated with Wronski feints or triple corkscrew loopings. Which was perhaps for the best since the Airbus did not look like it would do well in those manoeuvres.

* * *

When Edward apparated them back to Kent, the sun hung low over the horizon and painted the farmland in a golden light. Dora was already home, sitting in front of the telly with a big bag of crisps. Unlike most of the time Harry had seen her, she was wearing half a dozen piercing and had her upper arms covered in tattoos. Upon seeing them she waved her cousin over.

"So how was your first official assignment?" Ted wanted to know.

"Odd. There was a Muggleborn offering 'magical' tours through London at Kingston University. I had to check it out to make sure he wasn't breaking the Statue of Secrecy. Turns out it was just a bit of creative marketing, no real magic involved."

"And that tour lasted the entire night?"

"There was a party to celebrate the end of exams afterwards and since I had nothing planned after submitting my report - "

"I see how that could delay you," her father quipped.

"Oh stop smirking. You have been too far more parties."

"Yes, but I was actually a student when I went to those parties."

"Technicalities," Dora dismissed nonchalantly. "So, what have you been up to?"

"I just showed Harry around in the normal world for a couple hours."

"It was awesome. First, we've been to the Belfast, then to Heathrow and then to - Belfast."

"You've been in Belfast twice?" the metamorph asked, giving her excited cousin a curious look.

"No - Yes, I mean we saw the ship and then we flew to the town. It was awesome and there were so many people at the airport and everything was so large - "

"Sounds like I missed all the fun," Dora said cheerfully but Harry did not catch her playful tone.

"I bet your party was fun as well."

"The party was yesterday, well tonight. Today was just sleeping until two in the afternoon and wishing that I packed a hangover potion."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't worry, 's fine. And I even got a date, although I'm not sure if Vicki is into girls or was just trying to get a couple guys to leave her alone - Is mum with you? Because she's supposed to be home by now."

"No, I haven't seen her. I thought she would be back before us."

"Well, maybe she was waylaid by a bunch of old farts trying to suck up to her. Or a horde of reporters."

"You know that you will get slandered by those reporters, right? Your, well I guess it is our now, family is not particularly well liked so try to not poke that hornet's nest."

"What's the worst they can do? Call me a slut? A dark witch in training? Niece of the Black Monster? I've been hearing worse since my first year so 's no big deal," Dora dismissed her father's concern nonchalantly.

"A few idiots in Hogwarts is one thing. Half of the magical population of Britain believing lies about you is far worse."

"And I can't do anything about it. It should blow over by next week and in the meantime, I'll avoid Diagon."

"Just try to stay out of trouble, alright?" her father asked before letting out a sigh. "Oh, who am I kidding?"

"Me? Trouble? Where did you get that idea from?"

"Nimmy, your mother and I had our own tea set in Professor Sprout's office," Edward replied, omitting that his wife was a longtime friend of the Head of Hufflepuff and most of the visits had been purely social.

"Really? You've never mentioned that before?"

"Because that would only spur you further."

"You know me too well. By the way, you are just in time. I already prepared to tape this," Dora said once the current program ended. That remark got Harry's attention.

"Which movie are you watching?"

"BBC News at Nine."

"Oh, what's on the news? Did something happen?"

"Well, you will like this. Just take a seat and munch on the snacks."

" - And now on BBC One, the nine 'o clock news with Peter Sissons," a voice announced and Dora shushed both Harry and her father, who had sat down on her other side and noisily grabbed a handful of peanut flips.

"Mayor strike against drug trafficking in the London commuter belt. Surrey Police spokesman said that they secured over two thousand pounds of suspicious substances as well as military grade weapons after receiving an anonymous call. - The Queen opened the new MI6 headquarters at - "

"Was that - ?"

"Your relatives' house on national TV? Yup," Tonks answered her cousins question only to find herself in a tight hug. Looking down she gave him a warm smile and slung an arm around his shoulders. "I told you we'd get them locked away for a long time and that's still far better than what they deserve. When you blew up your aunt you should have gone through with a Hindenburg reenactment and had her explode in a great ball of fire."

"But - "

"Harry, not even the Death Eaters set dogs on children. They at least had the decency to do their atrocities by their own hand."

"Are you saying that the Dursleys are worse than Voldemort's followers?"

"Yes - No - Ugh, there's no easy answer for that question - There are different kinds of evil and just because there's someone worse out there that doesn't mean that the Dursleys are good people. Just because there are others who suffered more, that doesn't mean that everyone should ignore what you've been through. You'll always find someone who has it worse. I'm sure that there a few Death Eaters who are better people than your relatives. There are also some who are far worse. Murder, torture, child abuse, rape - " Tonks said fiercely, any pretence of a whisper long forgotten. "All of that is horrible. 'S a tragedy, not a pissing contest."

"How did you do it? The drug stuff - " Harry trailed off in an attempt to change the topic. While it felt nice that someone cared, that someone actually did something about the Dursleys, the intensity of her gaze was slightly unsettling, especially since her eyes unintentionally mirrored the green of his own.

"Buying a gram of cocaine in the streets of London 's easy. I just duplicated it with magic, so one gram became two, then four, eight, sixteen and so on. Once I had a pound I made a nice package and used the same spell on those. Shrunk everything down, sneaked into your relatives' house, and then hid the entire stash in that cursed cupboard. Found a permanent solution for that awful dog of your not-Aunt as well, in full accordance with Ministry law. It was a dangerous beast attacking wizards after all. And then - Look, there's the real show."

"Shocking discovery in Little Whinging, Surrey. So far, the Surrey Police confirmed that several thousand bags filled with suspicious substances were found as well as a considerable amount of cash and six AKM-type assault rifles produced in the former Soviet Union. While a detailed analysis is necessary to determine the extent of this findings, an NCIS officer said that at least four of the confiscated bags contained cocaine. Vernon Dursley, the director of Grunnings Drills, and his wife Petunia were arrested, with charges pending."

The image changed to Mrs Johnson from Number 7, who seemed very eager to tell her story to the British Broadcasting Corporation. "At first it was only a single police car but nonetheless I was curious. Why would the police come here? We are a good neighbourhood after all. There was some shouting and then one constable came back out, looking worried and talked on the radio until two more police cars arrived. Then another three, followed by a van and several civilian cars. A crowd gathered around Number four so I went back inside and watched through the attic window. They were carrying white packages out of the house for two hours while at least a dozen constables searched the area. They found something that looked like guns in the garden shed and carried duffle bags out of there as well. I never expected that Mr Dursley would be part of such a thing but it seems obvious now - "

"Dora?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you - Really, it means a lot - Thank you - " Harry said hoarsely while trying to hold back the tears. A small part of his mind had not believed that he was truly free from his relatives, that somehow he would end up at Privet Drive again. It would have been torturous because he now knew what having a family felt like. Leaving the Tonks family behind and going back would have been far worse than all the times he had spent locked in the Cupboard without food. But seeing Number Four surrounded by twenty cars, seeing blue lights flash over the garden he used to toil in and seeing the Dursleys in Police custody squashed those fears. And so Harry allowed himself to bask in the warmth of his cousin's embrace as she held him tight. He would never admit it out loud, but he had come to love Dora's hugs. They made him feel safe and protected, an entirely new emotion after the life he lived.

It was really a new experience for him, to have adults actually care for him compared to the platitudes Professor McGonagall was so fond of before ignoring the issues. And at the same time, the Tonks were not overbearing or trying to force him into something. His Aunt would tutor him in the Hogwarts subjects and expect him to do his best. But at the same time, she did not object when he spent an entire day playing Super Mario Kart and NHL '94 together with Dora. And Dora was definitely one of the best things which had happened to him. No one else made him feel that cared for, that loved as his cousin did. Like right now, when she held him in a strong side hug and gently stroked his back while he tried to come to terms with the definite, final end of his time at Number Four.

"As you can see this is potentially one of the biggest drug busts in Britain. Should all bags be filled with contraband its street value could exceed 60 Million Pound Sterling. The National Criminal Intelligence Service announced that they will begin their own investigation into the origin - "

"Nimmy, where did you get these weapons from?" her father asked and Harry was surprised by his playful tone.

"Eastern Europe. You said that it is easy to get weapons from there in your spy books so I tried just that. Asked around a little and once Pound Sterlings were mentioned, everyone was quite eager to help, especially since I was after used guns so it would look like those animals had used them. Was really easy and didn't cost more than ten Galleons."

"You remembered to melt them down, right?"

"Of course. Even used a shady antiquity shop in between and I looked different during both transactions. You know I aced my stealth exam."

"You nearly failed it."

"Aced it!"

"That's not what your report says."

"Yes, because the examiner decided that sitting right in front of his nose for two hours disguised as the guy scheduled after me was not a valid concealment."

"You just pretended to be someone else?" Harry asked.

"Yup, just sat there looking like John Langley until he came in. Head Auror Scrimgeour was really mad because he did fall for it but Moody was able to smooth things over. Still got bad marks but - "

The sound of a door being thrown open cut Dora off and footsteps echoed through the hallway. A few seconds later Andromeda entered the room and Harry ended up staring at his aunt.

"Get me a book on Necromancy, I want to resurrect my father and uncle just to kill them again and again."

"Dear god, you look like you have been to Azkaban, not the Wizengamot," Ted shouted once he saw the state his wife was in. She was dead on her feet, her usually immaculate face looked twenty years older because her skin was sickly pale and dark rings could be found under her eyes. Her black heels were coated in grime while her robes were soggy, with water dripping from the ivory coat.

"Well, I've been to both - "

"What?"

"Why Mum?"

"Why would you -"

"Long story, do you want to hear the good or the bad news first?" Andromeda spoke over them dryly.

"The good," her daughter replied, cutting off Ted, who was saying "The bad news".

"We no longer have genocidal in laws but at the same time I need to find a way to blackmail Fudge."

"What? How - Meda dear, how about I get you some chocolate and then you tell us everything from the beginning."

"Can you make it an Irish one?"

"Uh, can I have one as well?" Dora asked her father, who merely rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Harry?"

"If it is not too much work."

"Three Irish Chocolates and one with lots of whipped cream… Oh, stop pouting Nimmy, you get more cream as well," Ted said as he left for the kitchen.

"Mum, perhaps you want to change into something that's more comfortable. And not dripping wet."

"Hmmm," was Andromeda's mumbled reply, her eyes barely open as she let herself fall into the next armchair. "Do 't."

With a flick of her wand, her daughter replaced the dress robes with sweatpants and a matching grey tracksuit. She then summoned a blanket from a nearby shelf and covered her mother with it. The older woman wrapped it tightly around herself and fell silent for a minute.

"Mmmm, you're the best."

Edward returned with a tray carrying chocolate in all shapes and sizes. Dora'ss cup was easily discernible by a five-inch high mountain of whipped cream only held in shape with magic. The younger witch began licking it like an ice cream cone while her mother drained her drink in under ten seconds.

"Ugh, much better - alright, where do I start?"

"The reason why you went to that hellhole would be a good place," her husband suggested dryly.

"You remember when we talked about the marriage contracts, right? As it turns out, Cissy came to the same conclusion and was waiting in the Black office. So when I was filling out the paperwork for that contract annulment I decided to do Bella's as well."

"You realise that the press will destroy you for this, right?"

"Let them try. I'm not afraid of printed words," Andromeda replied before looking at her snorting daughter. "Was it something I said?"

"Nimmy said almost the same thing when I brought up the subject with her."

"What can I say, she is her mother's daughter," the older witch said smugly, smiling for the first time this evening. "Anyway, so with two marriages dissolved I had to make sure Bella was safe from those brutes and I don't trust the Ministry with my sister's life."

"But why today mum? Couldn't you wait until tomorrow?"

"And leave Bella with those monsters? What do you think would happen if they learned of the divorce while she was still in their cell?"

"Oh," Dora replied quietly and even Harry could guess what the Lestrange brothers would do to his aunt. Truth be told, he was really confused what he ought to think about the whole situation.

On one hand, Bellatrix Lestrange had been one of Voldemort's most feared Death Eaters, a woman who had torn apart countless families and whose body count probably surpassed one hundred. But at the same time, she had not chosen that path. When put under pressure she did not bend, but resisted for several years before she snapped. Andromeda had shown him a couple letters from her sister and those had been disturbing, a stark contrast to the happy pictures from Dora's third birthday, where all three of the Black sisters had met in secrecy for the last time. But the fact that Bellatrix had to be forced to do heinous crimes did not bring the victims back to life either. Pettigrew had been pressured by Voldemort and yet Harry still hated him for the betrayal of his parents. But unlike with his father's former friend he had no connection to Bellatrix's victims, which made disliking her out of principle a lot more complicated.

The young wizard also knew that the entire mess was especially difficult for his aunt and he couldn't imagine how she must feel. Her own sister had been turned into a monster while she couldn't do anything to help. And now that Andi had the power to help the damage was done and there were only shambles left.

"I knew that Azkaban was bad, Sirius said as much, but to see it on my own - I don't think that Bella had a shower or a change of clothes this year - Good thing the guards thought that the name Black still carries some influence or I'd still be on that godforsaken island arguing with them."

"So you divorced your sisters and then arranged a separate cell for Bellatrix - But how is that related to blackmailing the Minister?" Edward asked, his look of confusion mirrored by Harry and Dora.

"Well, in an ideal world I'd get her out of Azkaban and to a good psychiatrist - "

"Fudge will never agree to that. You could have pictures where he gets buggered by his Undersecretary with a fat, black strap-on - "

"I know," Andromeda cut off her daughter in a harsh tone. "I hope I can get her away from the dementors to one of the lower levels with the human guards."

"Are you sure you want to do this Meda?"

"Yes, somewhere deep inside of Bellatrix Lestrange is still my little sister. At first, she was just screaming at me, called me a blood traitor, a slut and whatnot. It hurt to hear her say those words but after a couple of minutes, something shifted inside her. The madness comes and goes and next thing I know my sister is clinging to me, sobbing into my shoulder and begging me to get her out, to take her home. There was so much agony in her voice, so much pain…" Andromeda trailed off and shuddered.

"Mum, I think I know how you can get Fudge."

"Look at our daughter, two years at the Ministry and she has dirt on the Head of State already. Clearly, she takes after her mother," Edward joked in a much-needed attempt to lighten the mood.

"To be honest, 's really Harry's dirt - And come to think of it, there are two things you can use against the Minister."

"I have something to blackmail the Minister?" Harry asked, surprised by this turn of events. After all, shouldn't he know that he had that sort of information?

"Well, the obvious one is that you, for no reason at all, were attacked by Dementors twice. Dementors who answer directly to the Office of the Minister."

"But it wasn't that bad. Professor Lupin was there the first time - "

"And the second time you fell at least a hundred feet and came very close to splashing on the ground. Harry, you nearly died twice because the Minister is a moron. He came very close to killing a national hero on two separate occasions. Do you have any idea how damaging it would be if it became public knowledge that Fudge unleashed the worst magical creatures known in Britain and lost control of them?"

"Oh - Are they really the worst magical creatures?"

"Do you know any which are worse?" Edward asked his nephew.

"Uhm, what about Dragons? Or Basilisks?"

"Most dragon breeds were hunted to extinction. It takes a few people to bring one down but with enough wands, it's not that difficult. The Soviets even killed dozens with their air defence. They are tough but not immortal. Basilisks are more dangerous but can still be killed with the right tools. There's protection gear which renders a Nundu's breath harmless. But Dementors - How do you kill something that is not alive?"

"With Fiendfyre," Andromeda cut in. "That's the only way. People have tried everything else but not even the killing curse works."

"And that's the problem with Dementors. Most people do not learn the Dark Arts before they steal their first kiss."

"The Dark Arts," his wife hissed. "The Dark Arts are mostly a catchy phrase for 1001 ways to kill a person painfully. Out of the whole lot only the killing curse, the Cruciatus, Fiendfyre and a few variations of the blasting curse are useful in a fight. Black Magic is part of rituals and usually comes with an immense cost for the caster. Everything else is just bloody showmanship. Why anyone would use a withering curse when he could just outright kill is beyond me."

"Because the Death Eaters are sadistic bastards who get off torture and mutilation. Mad-Eye showed me more than one memory which made me throw up. They had a few from Karkaroff and what they did to that little - "

"I really don't think that Harry needs to hear about those," Ted pointed out. The Gryffindor was a little put out by this but if it made his cousin throw up perhaps he could do without the details.

"Right, blackmailing the Minister - I'm not sure if I remember it right, but didn't you see Fudge arrest Hagrid for no reason at all?"

"He said that he needed to be seen doing something."

"Wait, the Minister threw an innocent man into Azkaban as a PR stunt? Just how long was he in there?" Andromeda wanted to know.

"Uhm, a month I think."

"A MONTH? A month - Suddenly I feel more like throwing him out of office - No - No - That wouldn't work either - Damn the man!"

"Yup, and I'm starting to work for him in six weeks," Dora added with mock cheerfulness.

"I told you that you shouldn't get involved with the Ministry."

"Yes mum, we already had that argument more than fifty times and I still believe that I can help people as an Auror and that it is worth getting into that swamp of corruption."

"But - "

"Please, not this again. Meda, our daughter is old enough to make her own decisions and the Auror office is one of the better positions in our society. And Nymphadora, your mother is right when she says that the Ministry has more corruption than the remaining British Isles combined. Can we please focus on the issue at hand?"

"Right - Right - Merlin, I even forgot to ask - Harry, can I use the incidents Dora described to get Bella out of the high-security wing?"

"Uhh, yes," he replied even though he was still not entirely sure how he felt about the whole idea of blackmailing the Minister. Andromeda took him in because he was family and now she needed his help to help her sister. It was definitely odd to do something nice for a Death Eater, but at the same time, Bellatrix would still be in prison, just without the soul-sucking demons nearby. He was not doing it for one of Voldemort's followers, but for the family who got him away from the Dursleys.

* * *

Later that night Harry was having an odd dream. He was back in the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff when the dementors appeared again. But unlike during the real match, the monsters were not circling but instead dived at him. No matter how many he dodged, more and more came until he came face to face with the open mouth of one. But when he stared into the dark abyss, the dream changed and suddenly he was sitting in a dirty room, right in front of a fireplace. In front of him, a man kneeled, his long blonde hair falling across his face.

"Master, I am yours to command."

"Rise my most loyal servant, there is much to do."

"Yes, Milord!"

While now standing, the man still kept his eyes on the ground and Harry felt oddly pleased by this. He let the silence continue for a minute before speaking in a raspy voice.

"Bertha Jorkins has proven most useful. There will be an opportunity which can be used to restore my true body."

"What can I do?"

"There is a potion to help the ritual. It needs to be started on an equinox and simmer through two solstices. It also requires a lot of rare ingredients which - " Harry paused for a moment as he felt a familiar presence approach.

" _Food, Master, just outside the door! A fat, tasty man -"_

"Nagini just told me that there is a visitor just outside the door. We ought to welcome him. He will be the first witness of my immortality."

With a wave of a wand, the door slid open and a scared man long past his prime fell forward, only to be engulfed in a blinding green light.

Harry's eyes snapped open and the searing pain ebbed away, leaving only a throbbing headache and a sore throat.

"Are you alright Harry? You were screaming and thrashing around - You gave me quite a scare," a calm voice said from somewhere behind his ear and it took him some time to realise that the heavy weight on his chest was his cousin, who held him tightly while gently stroking his forehead. Harry felt like throwing up but that urge passed after a moment as the memory began to fade.

"I - I was Voldemort! And I just killed a man."

"Shit!"

* * *

 **AN:**

I know that I wanted to wrap up the holidays in this chapter but there's a lot going on and I don't want to have too much happened off screen. There are quite a lot of Holiday fics out there that surpass 200k words and I really don't want to go in that direction but at the same time, I am writing a lot of AU events here where it is definitely better to show than to tell.

From what I understand Britain has laws against publishing the names of suspects unless they are already charged. BUT the media will ignore them if they are sure that charges will follow. This can be due to leaks or cases which are clear-cut, like finding several millions worth of drugs, counterfeited money and a shipment of AKMs inside someone's house. Prominent people also seem to be de facto exempt.

Don't get me wrong, five X creatures are lethal in a 1 vs 1, but at the same time killing them with the right weapon does not seem that difficult. The magical classification system was invented long before laser-guided anti-tank weapons, NBC suits or even RPGs.


	9. Summer Holidays

"So your scar hurts whenever you are near some form of the Dark Lord?" Andromeda asked over the breakfast table. She had been surprised when she found her daughter's bed empty and Nymphadora cuddled up to Harry. However, while Dursley-related issues had been her first thought, the truth was much darker.

"Yes, although it wasn't as bad with the diary-shade-thing as with Quirrel's leech."

"And these dreams?"

"They are new… I've seen glimpses before, something about someone proving his worth, but never like this…"

"Mum, you don't think that he is nearby?"

"No, Bella's mark was still faded, although she said it is getting darker again. But I definitely believe that it was some kind of vision. Bertha Jorkins is listed as missing by the Ministry and I doubt that Harry has access to, much less actually read that list."

"Who is… was she?" Harry wanted to know.

"A Ministry employee. Department of Magical Transportation I think."

"Magical Games and Sports. She was in Bella's year and not particularly bright," Dora's mother corrected her. "Harry, did anyone ever examine your scar?"

"Uhm, I think not. Hagrid said that he took me to Madam Pomfrey after that Halloween…

"My teacup has more right to call itself healer than that woman. Would you mind if I take another a look at it?"

"No… Do you think that there's something wrong with it?"

"To be honest I do not have much experience with treating curse damage but I know enough about the subject to say that your scar should not be a Dark Lord radar. And frankly, it doesn't make any sense that you feel it at all. The killing curse leaves no mark to begin with, and he had no reason to curse you with something lingering and if the Dark Lord wanted to kill you, why would he cast something painful before trying to murder you? And those curses hurt all the time, not if the caster is nearby… Also, it would be agony, not just a headache… Alright, let's see what we have here…" Andromeda trailed off as her wand ghosted over his scar while he was trying to keep his thoughts away from imminent doom. "Hmm, the regular diagnostic charms show nothing, which is definitely wrong. I can see and feel the scar, so why isn't it showing here…"

Yeah, so much for positive thoughts.

"Have you tried the normal detection spells instead of the medical ones?" Dora asked her mother as the older witch kept poking the scar with her fingers.

"No, I doubt that they would find something here but it's worth a try either way… Hmm, this doesn't feel right, the scar tissue is far harder than it should be… The general detection spells show nothing either, so it's time to try the narrower alternatives…"

Andromeda's tone was far too jovial for this kind of topic, Harry decided, and it did little to reassure him. When fifteen minutes passed and she could only say that there was some truly dark magic lingering on his forehead, he found it more and more concerning, especially since she found the entire thing fascinating, like a challenging riddle.

"I have never seen something like this before. It is unlike any curse I have heard of and makes little sense. There's no active magic but it drains a very small part of your own magic, far less than even a Lumos charm. There are spells which do that, but they tend to be a lot faster and lethal within ten minutes so we can rule them out as well… Maybe the remnants of some ritual Voldemort was doing… Perhaps something to enhance his body… No, that would require a ritualistic murder, not the killing curse… Maybe… No…" Andromeda tucked her wand away before taking a deep breath. "Harry, I hate to say this, but I cannot tell you what is in that scar. However, it is certainly nothing good, so my professional recommendation would be to remove the scar."

"You can do that? Wait, of course, that is possible. There's a potion to regrow bones so removing a simple scar is easy, right?" Harry asked. He was already happily looking forward to finally being free from the ugly mark on his forehead, to the point where he forgot the panic about his imminent doom. The scar by itself was a curse and, with very few exceptions, people always looked at it with either pity or awe and the Gryffindor couldn't stand either. Really, why were people thinking that he did something to Voldemort? In two out of three encounters with the Dark Lord, his mother's magic was the reason for certain out of body experiences.

"Actually magic is unsuitable for treating most curse damage. A lot of the so-called Dark Arts even react violently to healing spells. Luckily for you, the scar is on relatively simple tissue, so we can simply cut it out and regrow the skin. I can even use the skin-weaving potion we brewed last week to patch you up afterwards," his aunt said and again failed to reassure him. While Harry was quite certain that his potion abilities were better than Snape said, but he was uncomfortable with the idea of actually using his brews.

"Do we HAVE to use my potion?"

"I assure you, it is perfectly fine. But if you want, I can make some myself, or even buy some if it makes you feel better about the procedure. And there are a few things I need to do before we get that scar out," Andromeda said as she made a mental to-do list as a deep, three-tone chime echoed through the house.

"The wards?" Dora asked as she reached for her wand, her eyes jumping between the windows.

"Yes, but unless I am not mistaken it is the mail dump..." Andromeda trailed off as she went to check a small storage compartment below the roof. She found the room overflowing with unwanted packages and letters. Grimacing, she activated a rune cluster designed to deposit the entire collection to the DMLE and let them deal with that issue. Sometimes, living in a house belonging to one of Britain's most notorious families had its advantages.

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks was quite happy to take her cousin's mind away from Dark Lords and cursed scars, even if that meant playing apparation taxi for three teenagers. The original idea had been dropping Harry off at his friend's house in Rochester, but since none of them actually had a plan what to do, she offered to take them to the beach. Of course, they probably expected to end up in Folkestone, or maybe Brighton but that wouldn't do. It would be Harry's first time at a beach and Britain's overrun tourist spots weren't what she had in mind.

Fifteen minutes of packing and six apparations later, Dora was perched on one of her favourite spots. The beach stretched beyond the horizon on both sides and the ocean in front of her looked simply heavily. In fact, she even matched her hair to the azure water. And the sound, the pure delight of waves rolling towards the shoreline. Her teenage passengers, however, were looking around in confusion.

"Miss Tonks, where exactly are we?"

 _Miss Tonks, that was a new one and Harry had no qualms to laugh at the formal address. And really, it's been far too long since she's been here, not since Isy took the job offer in New Zealand last year._

"This was at one time the pride and bulwark of the Third Reich. Now 's the best beach you can apparate to from Britain. And this pillbox has the perfect angle for an even tan."

"But where are we?"

"The closest village is Lacanau, twenty-five miles west of Bordeaux. These bunkers are what remains of the Atlantikwall. They were built atop the cliff there by the Germans, but some slid down over the years."

"We are near Bordeaux?" Katie asked. "We are actually in France?"

"Yeah, so?"

 _Really, what's the big deal? Tonks still had fond memories of the Pan-European pub crawls together with her friends. Nothing better than waking up in a random hotel room and not even knowing which country you were in. Ah, good times._

"But that's… that's far away," Leanne eloquently pointed out.

"Then I probably shouldn't mention that I'm getting our lunch from Strasbourg."

"WHAT?"

 _Alright, perhaps the cocky grin had been a tad too much. But at least Harry was not surprised by her antics. Then again, he had two weeks to get used to her while the girls were just getting their first taste._

"Food always tastes the best where it is originally from. French cuisine for fancy occasions, Italy has superb pasta, pizza and ice, Germany makes the best Sausages and Kebab, Swiss and Belgium are the masters of chocolate creations and you get the best Kaiserschmarrn in Austria. I'm in the mood for Tarte Flambée, so a trip to Alsace is in order."

"But that's so much work, just for our lunch. You really don't need to…"

"Really girls, perhaps you haven't figured it out yet, but magic is not just turning teacups into frogs. Just ask Harry what I've shown him…"

 _That should get their attention back to her cousin while she tried to figure out if there was any attraction between them and him. After all, teenage love triangles could be more entertaining than any show on the telly._

"Uhm, she turned her nose into a cock… It was huge, hung past her chin like an elephant trunk... It was more than a little disturbing but…"

 _Great choice of example there, Harry. Really, of all casual displays of magic he had seen, that one was the most outstanding? What about the time she benched a thousand pounds with only a featherlight charm?_

"You what?" Leanne shrieked while her friend only giggled.

"You can fill a dozen ice boxes with snowballs to have a snowball fight in the middle of summer and no one remembers. But turn your nose into a dick once…"

 _Alright that got the mood back to cheerful, they were already in swimwear, there were more than enough cans of coke in her backpack, they had towels… Oh right, sunburns! Now, where was that bottle?_

"For example, there's this charm for decorating cakes. However, you can also use it to paint. Or apply sunscreen."

 _And with a wave of her wand, all three teens felt something wet spreading over their skin. It would have been more fun to watch them awkwardly decided who'd do Harry, but they had places to be. Namely the Atlantic Ocean. Teaching her cousin how to swim had been a great foresight and perhaps some teasing was in order. After all, she had three perfect victims right in front of her._

"You know, I could take you to a nude beach the next time."

"Well, nothing Harry hasn't seen before," Katie replied nonchalantly and now it was Tonks turn to gape. Her cousin had certainly forgotten to mention that part.

"What?"

"Our Quidditch captain thinks that showering together is a team-building exercise," Harry quickly explained. "It stopped being awkward after the first week…"

"And then our teammates started making out in the showers as soon as Wood left to get changed. I like Angie, but I could have done without seeing her snogging both Weasley twins… at the same time. Either they forget that we're there or they simply don't care," Katie added with a shudder.

"Team-building exercise, gotta remember that one… Anyway, enough of teenagers making out. Unless you want to do that, in which case don't mind me, I'm here for the ocean and the beach. You see the green flag over there?" Dora asked while gesturing towards a pole a few hundred yards away, with a small piece of green fabric fluttering in the breeze. The trio simply nodded, eager to get into the water. "Means that the waves should be around than two feet so you can play in there without worrying about drowning. I've got sunglasses, goggles, a beach ball and lilos, so just ask me if you want something."

Truth be told, she only had half of these things, but transfiguration would do for now. If this became a regular event, maybe a more permanent solution would be in order. But for now, she simply enjoyed the gentle rocking of the waves and the refreshing cold of the water as she walked over the idyllic beach and into the Atlantic Ocean.

Tonks spent a lot of time watching the three teens, partially to make sure they didn't drown, but also to see how her cousin acted around his friends. It quickly became obvious that while Harry and Leanne were friendly towards each other, they were Katie's friends first and the brunette was the centre of their attention. Given enough time, that could change but she remembered that the friendship between her cousin and the Asian girl was fairly new, so that kind of behaviour was to be expected. And he was trying, like right now, when he kept asking questions about her internship with Katie's father. Although why anyone would like to work at a magical apothecary was beyond Tonks' understanding. Unlike Chemists, they reeked of half-rotten creature entrails and fermented potion ingredients, or at least the ones in Diagon did.

As for Harry's old friends, Dora was slightly disappointed by them. One had abandoned him in favour of overworking herself while the other didn't put any effort into the friendship. Sure, Hermione had not been the first to try more classes than she could handle when the electives became available, but after hearing Harry talk about it, the metamorph couldn't help but be angry at his studious friend. Knowing about the misplaced academic zeal did little to stop him from being hurt by Hermione's behaviour. At least her parents seemed to have talked some sense into the girl if her letters were any indication. Tonks really hoped that those three would sort their problems out once they were back in Hogwarts.

* * *

After several deluges of mail filled with everything from marriage proposals to cursed artefacts, Thursday dawned and it was the date of the knockout stage in Holyhead. There Harry experienced the benefit of connections first hand when the Lithuanian coach got them VIP seats because she was hoping to make a deal with the Comet company. While his aunt was not part of the sales department, she could probably pull some strings and the Tonks family, which now included him, found themselves in soft armchairs, watching the game play out over their heads while house elves provided food and drink.

The match itself was not particularly interesting since Flanders played absolutely abysmal, allowing the Baltic team to show off and scoring without opposition. Twenty minutes into the game, the score reached 160 to 0 and Harry wondered just how Flanders had passed the group stage. At that point, Lithuania switched back a couple gears while Rimsaité fainted and led the Flemish seeker into a beater ambush. By the time he spotted the two Bludgers homing in, it was already too late as both hit him almost simultaneously. Using the confusion, Rimsaité banked to the left and shot upwards in a steep climb as her opponent fell into the Irish Sea. The match was ist over for a final score of 340 to nil.

From the VIP Lounge, Harry had a front row seat to the aftermatch circus, where dozens of reporters tried to hound the winning team. If this was normal, he'd never play professionally, the Gryffindor decided. He already had more than enough unwanted attention and there were at least twenty journalists swarming a random European team after what could be called warm up before a relaxed training. Just how many would come to see him play?

"Excuse me, coach said you play seeker as well?" a young woman said with a thick Eastern European accent. Harry turned around to come face to face with an athletically build witch clad in the red and gold robes of the Lithuanian Quidditch team. She was more than a head taller than him and had wavy black hair framing her round face.

"Uhm, yes I do. I'm Harry Potter…"

"And I am Princess Leia… And Harry Potter wears pointy hat. You don't have pointy hat."

"What?" He could only stare at the girl, wondering what she was talking about. There were a couple things widely known about his appearance, like the scar, the glasses or that he had his mother's eyes while otherwise being a carbon copy of his father. But a pointy hat? He had only worn that thing once when all first years had been led to the sorting. And like everyone else, he had to put it down before upgrading to the Sorting Hat.

Dora, however, found the entire exchange utterly hilarious and burst out laughing, which made the other two give her odd looks.

"Was it something I said?" the player wanted to know, her confusion matching Harry's.

"You are talking about those books by Joanne… Joanne something, right?"

"Yes, so?"

"You see… Oh, this is simply too good… You see, these books are using Harry here as a protagonist…"

"They are real? But he has no pointy hat!"

"Yes, he's not blonde either. There were quite a few authors who used Harry's name to make some quick gold."

"So he is actually real? What about that Voldemort guy? Surely he is made up, yes?"

"Wait, you think the Dark Lord is just a book character?"

"He is not?"

"Nooo…" Harry drew out his reply and had to stop himself from laughing when the girl realised what she has unknowingly been doing.

"I'm so sorry, you must think I am idiot now. Back at home, no one would dare to plot against the Ministry, KGB makes sure of that."

"Well, you could make up for it by telling us your name," Dora suggested.

"Gabija Rimsaité, but Gaby is fine. I'm seeker, but you saw the match."

"Well, I'm Harry and that is Dora."

"You go to Hogwarts, yes?"

"Uhm, yeah?" he replied, not sure where this was going. Harry was still bewildered that there were people who thought he was just a character in one of those awful books. Then again, the young woman in front of him thought that Voldemort had been made up since her Ministry had things well under control.

"Then we will meet there. Excuse me, coach has to pay for this."

When the seeker left the lounge Dora and her cousin were left to their thoughts. This meeting has been more than a little strange.

"Oh, you are definitely getting a pointy hat as birthday present."

"What did she mean with meeting me at Hogwarts? She's not a student, right? I mean, she would have seen me…" Harry trailed off, ignoring any hat-related comments.

"There are a couple rumours going around in the Ministry. Apparently, Dumbledore and Crouch are cooking up something, some sort of competition. Now, this is just hearsay, but it looks like they are bringing back the Triwizard Tournament…"

"The what?"

"Triwizard Tournament. 'S like one of these weird Japanese gameshows but with all sorts of magical challenges that kill the contestants. I have a friend working at Import Control for the DMLE and they're bringing a couple dragons into the country for some reason. Now, my awesome detective skills say that 's for the Tournament."

"But what does that has to do with Hogwarts?"

"'S usually a competition between Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons."

"Students fighting dragons? How much do you want to bet that I end up in that thing without wanting to?"

"Don't joke about that!" Tonks hissed and drew him into a tight hug. "I'd end up worrying my hair grey if that'd happen. And I don't look good in grey."

* * *

By the end of the week, Andromeda had talked to a couple colleagues and checked a dozen books for relevant information. Yet that did not change her initial diagnosis that, whatever kind of dark magic was stuck at his forehead was definitely not beneficial and Harry would be better off without it. And so she removed it. The procedure was simple, a localised numbing charm, followed by four cuts with a scalpel, a detection spell to make sure all the affected tissue was removed, a vial of skin-weaving potion and a front row seat to his aunt using Fiendfyre to burn the flap of skin. Seeing the cursed flames was anticlimactic since Andi contained them to the size of a block of butter.

The surgery itself went without a hitch but nonetheless had strange side effects. While still farsighted, Harry noticed that his vision improved somewhat, which rendered his glasses useless and made a trip to an optician necessary. Since enchanted eyewear was forbidden in Hogwarts, Andromeda saw no benefit in taking him to Diagon Alley and they went to the nearest Muggle store, which happened to be in Canterbury, where he got fitted to a simple pair of rimless glasses. A much larger problem became obvious when Harry tried to cast a lighting charm later that day. Instead of the usual, dim light, the spell flooded the room with blinding white, which immediately began to flicker. After several attempts with the same results, the wizard noticed that his wand felt different than it did before. Instead of the welcoming warm, the wood felt cold, almost dead in his hand. When he asked Dora for advice, she pulled out her own wand and handed it to Harry. When he had better results with the borrowed one than with his own, the metamorph went to fetch her mother.

"When did you notice this?"

"Uh, ten minutes ago. I tried a few spells and it's always the same. They work but I cannot control them at all. There's a sheet of paper sticking to the ceiling after I tried to levitate it," Harry explained and pointed at the wooden panels above them. After another try with Andromeda's wand, the older witch declared that he needed a new wand since he had more control with foci not loyal to him than with his bonded one.

"Uhm, are there other wand crafters?"

"More than you can count, but most of them are shite. Why are you asking?" Tonks wanted to know.

"Well, Ollivander was really creepy."

"Nothing new with that…"

"He kept saying that Voldemort did great things. And that my wand shared a core with his."

"Alright, THAT is new."

"And definitely a reason not to go there. Brother wands have all sorts of strange interactions and selling you a wand matched with his… Is highly irresponsible. There is no way to tell what would have happened if you ever crossed wands but I doubt that it would have been good."

* * *

The next morning Harry tumbled against his aunt after they finished a series of apparations and ended up in a place, not unlike Diagon Alley. They were at the bank of a river, with an ornate white building sitting on the other side, a sandstone cathedral with copper roofs even further behind it. However, the language the people there were speaking sounded very foreign and the Gryffindor couldn't even begin to guess where they were. Andromeda led him into a small dark shop, where she talked to the owner in a different language than the one spoken outside.

The young man, at least ten years younger than Andi, pulled several boxes from the shelves and handed them to his customer. Harry expected that he would have to try half of the inventory again, but after a dozen wands, each feeling better than the one before, he found one that was too hot to touch. The feeling stopped when Harry dropped the wooden stick but when he picked it up again, it felt just right, trailing a purple glow through the air

"Try to cast a spell, something minor," Andromeda translated and he tried to levitate a quill. While not easier to cast than with his old wand, Harry felt like he had more control over the spell. Turning the Quill into a fork, however, took far more effort than he was used to and the shopkeeper said something when he noticed his customer's frown.

"10 ¼ inches, Willow and Dragon Heartstring. Good for charms and curses, one from his grandfather's works," Andromeda translated before explaining just where they were. "His grandfather was Mykew Gregorovitch. He retired a few years ago but as you can see his son and grandson continue the family trade."

* * *

Back in Kent, Harry was eager to try out his newly acquired wand and so Andromeda took him to the training room and set up a target for spell practice.

"There are dark times ahead of us. The Dark Lord is doing something to restore his body and his followers are up to something as well. Now, from what you have said it sounds like the potion he is going to use takes almost a year to brew, which gives us time..."

"Do you really think I can fight him?"

"Definitely not. The Dark Lord… He did not kill many people himself but those he did… They stood no chance. The McKinnons were over twenty witches and wizards gathered for the Autumn Equinox. The Ministry took three minutes to respond to their distress call and by that time, they were all gone. Not simply dead, but slaughtered like cattle and then minced into a gory mess. If not for your mother's magic, he would have won before Christmas. But, while fighting him might be suicide, there are his followers and those you can deal with. They have decades of experience over you, but they are not the brightest fellows. The Death Eaters toy with their victims, keep them alive while they rape their children and mothers, use curses which kill slowly. Tell me, Harry, how can you exploit that?"

The Gryffindor felt dread run down his spine and a cold lump form in his stomach upon hearing her words but began to think nonetheless. The Death Eaters were brutal and ruthless, but perhaps he could fool them with a trick.

"Uhm, maybe hold back at first and then exploit their overconfidence?"

"A solid plan with just one downside. You're dead," Andromeda in a nonchalant fashion completely unbefitting their topic. "Holding back allows them to dictate the engagement but you want to fight on your terms."

"So what do I do?"

"Either you run or you kill them before they kill you."

"But…"

"It is you or them. The best thing you can do when you see Death Eaters is sneak away before they can find you. You have a perfect invisibility cloak, far better than anything my family used to own. If they see you, just open fire. Throw your strongest curses at them and then keep casting. Now, most people would say that you are far too young for that kind of problem and that you should worry about getting someone in a broom closet, not about dark wizards. But the Death Eaters do not care how old you are. The Dark Lord tried to kill you when you were fifteen months old. You are the living proof of his failure. Anyone who wants to make a name for himself will try to kill you just for the bragging rights," the oldest Black sister said darkly before gently putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I am not trying to scare you, but at your age, I had forgotten more about the Dark Arts than most will ever learn. But I have needed that knowledge more often than I'd like to admit. The world is not a pretty place and I want to make sure you live long enough to enjoy the few spots of sunshine."

"Are we going to duel?" Harry wanted to know, eager to see how well he would fare. He remembered the green light from his dreams and also the Dementor induced memories from his parents' death. He was up against that and he needed to be able to do something because this time his mother could not sacrifice herself again. Seeing his aunt nod, the Gryffindor began to cast a stunning spell but before he even finished his incantation something heavy slammed into his stomach and he passed out.

"As you can see, this is not very useful. Before you can learn anything from a proper duel, you need to learn the basics. That's why I am going to teach you the blasting curse."

"Just the blasting curse? Don't I need to know more?"

"We will cover a shield spell eventually, but this week it will be blasting curses only. The wand motion is a simple downward slash like you would bring a sword or an axe down on somebody. The incantation is _Bombarda_ and you want to visualise destruction, like an explosion or a wall being torn down."

"What about other curses?"

"Well, most of them are either far weaker than this one or require a lot more control over your magic than you have. Using just one charm makes you predictable, but you are still casting a spell that can cause significant damage and be lethal. You cannot simply deflect it into the ground around you because it will still explode there. It is one of the most effective combat spells because it is relatively easy to cast and does not wear out the caster like the higher arcane arts. Now, I want you to cast that spell until I tell you to stop. Aim at the floating orb and if you cast the spell correctly it will glow green."

Getting the spell to work was not particularly difficult but Andromeda was a ruthless taskmaster. Again and again, he had to cast until his arm was burning and his breath was ragged. After what seemed to be hours, she called the exercise off and pushed a glass of water into his limp hand.

"Not bad. But tomorrow the target will be moving."

* * *

The holidays began to fly by for Harry. Between training, going to the beach with his friends and doing all kinds of things with Dora, July changed into August. They went to see a movie once a week, ate an unhealthy amount of Florean Fortescue's ice cream and played football in the fields around Tonks Hill. His Aunt took him to work one day and after a tour of the production, Harry was shown the testing grounds on the Shetland Isles, where the company tested their products against each other in mock aerial combat above the North Sea. A few of the Muggleborn employees came up with the idea after watching a movie called Top Gun and rigged a few brooms with a runic array. It shot a series of colour-changing charms at a softball fitted to the tail, spurring both players to push their brooms to the limit. Once the ball went through all the colours of a rainbow, it turned black and the player was out. Harry, never being one to back away from a challenge, asked if he could try that.

He lost 3 to 7, which was still better than anyone not working at the range. But it was not good enough for him and so the man with the nickname "Maverick" decided to humour him again and again. After all, how often do you get to fly against Harry Potter and get paid for it?

* * *

 **AN:**

Kinda filler-ish but I had to move the plot along and wrap up a couple of plot threads.

I really hate the whole "finding out about Horcruxes early on and then removing them before the inevitable graveyard fight" story arc so there'll be none of that here. It's just so cheap to have someone besides Dumbledore and Slughorn know about some of the Darkest Magic in existence and how to counter it. While Andromeda might have read the term once or twice there was neither a detailed description nor a how-to so she did not recognise the scar as one. And while we are on the topic, there won't be the whole graveyard resurrection scene in this fic. More on Voldemort's resurrection at the end of the fourth year. And as much as I want to claim that the skin-weaving potion from the 6th chapter was clever foreshadowing, I only thought about using it for Horcrux removal after bouncing ideas back and forth with AlsoKnownAsMatt. "But it can't be that easy, Dumbledore thought Harry had to take a killing curse for the team." Dumbledore (and everyone else) also acted like Horcruxes are a tool to be bulletproof, immune to Sarin, acids, swords, car crashes and the common cold. Which is bullshit, since in canon they make immortal, not invincible.

Dunkirk (Kent) - Inverness is a longer trip than Rochester - Bordeaux. So if Tonks can apparate from her home to Hogsmeade, then a trip to the beaches of France is certainly possible. Isy, short for Isabelle or Isabella, is pronounced "easy". So no, that's not a typo.

Having a fictional character being a fictional character in his universe can get a tad confusing but that's what the canon says. Also, Ollivander did not glorify Voldemort, that was simply Harry's objective impression. Andromeda's assessment regarding the brother wands is intentionally wrong since she is merely speculating. Just trying to keep the characters away from Mary/Gary Stu land. And while he is a good flyer, even the best at Hogwarts, Harry is not going to beat professionals at age 13 or 14.


	10. The Hogwarts Express

"Thank god you're alright!"

Surprised by a sudden assault of brunette curls and the pressure against his torso, Harry stumbled backwards, right into the wooden wall of the coach while reaching for his wand. He had not expected an ambush before the Hogwarts Express had even cleared Gasworks Tunnel half a mile past Kings Cross and therefore was caught completely off guard. The Gryffindor had been trying to cope with the unexpected sadness of leaving his family for the first time, so it took his mind a moment to realise that the spoken words and the attack didn't match and a few more to realise that it was actually Hermione squeezing the air out of him.

"Good to see you as well."

"Oh, I was so worried about you…"

"Why?" Harry wanted to know as she missed his sarcasm. He was more than a little confused by Hermione's behaviour and the fact that she was still latched onto him. They had exchanged a couple letters over the summer holidays, but Harry couldn't remember the last time they talked about something besides classes. "I actually had a decent summer for once."

"But the Prophet wrote that you were at the World Cup during the riots and I was worried…"

"Hermione, I wasn't even in Europe during that. My family took me on a weekend trip to New York as a birthday present. We were on the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, saw Times Square, were aboard USS Intrepid and visited the Central Park. I even got to fly on the Concorde, which was totally wicked."

"You were not there?" the Gryffindor witch echoed deflated and finally released her death grip on him. At least now Harry knew what had gotten his friend so worked up. The campgrounds surrounding England's new National Quidditch Stadium had become a killing ground, with more than four hundred dead and two thousand wounded. His Aunt had warned a few people, including Auror veteran Alastor Moody and George Hammer, the current head of the office, but even the bolstered security had not been enough to protect the gargantuan crowd of Quidditch fans. He was glad to have avoided the riots, even if it had meant missing the World Cup. Besides, Ireland's landslide victory had not even been interesting on the wireless, since the Green Army had secured a comfortable 200 point lead 30 minutes into the game, completely slaughtering the Bulgarians for a final 470 to 190.

"The only accurate thing the Prophet wrote about me the entire summer was that my aunt kinda adopted me."

"How can you be kinda adopted? Either you are or you are not."

"I mean, technically she adopted me… But that doesn't make her my mum… Don't get me wrong, Andi is great, but after the Dementor memory last year I don't think I will ever be able to call anyone else Mum…" Harry mumbled and rubbed his neck. It felt strange to be talking to Hermione after the last half year, when so much had happened. The letters had helped to mend a few bridges, but he was no longer the same person as before the Easter break and he got the impression that she had changed as well. They were still friends, but it'd take time for things to be like before. "C'mon, this really isn't the best place to talk."

With that, Harry led her to the compartment he, Katie and Leanne had commandeered. After the greetings were exchanged, he noticed Hedwig glaring at Hermione just as she sat down, yellow eyes following every step.

"Uhm, did something happen between you and Hedwig."

Before his friend could reply, Katie and Leanne shared a look and giggled. It took him a second to notice the double meaning while Hermione remained oblivious for once.

"When she first showed up, she carried no letter and I asked if she lost it. I mean, it was a perfectly reasonable question considering other people's owls usually do not appear without a letter on the French Riviera because she thought I needed to write you. Ever since Hedwig has been that way... I think she is insulted."

The owl in question barked, puffed her chest and spread her wings, as if to say "damn right I am!" That gesture made everyone in the compartment laugh, although Hermione was pouting a little.

"Don't you have a meeting to attend, Miss Prefect?" Leanne asked with mock sternness once she noticed the train had branched off the East Coast Main Line. It had left any sign of muggle railroads behind and was currently winding its way through a clearly magical maze of tunnels and passages in outer London, far too tight for regular trains.

"Of course, I will be going to this very official meeting then. Being a prefect is a very important responsibility after all. If you find me passed out next to a bottle of Firewhiskey, tell Dad that the prefect meetings are just as he described them."

After Katie danced out of the compartment and had struck a pose to emphasise the silver badge pinned to her shirt, Leanne dropped the pout and pulled a deck of cards from her backpack.

"You know how to play Rummy?"

"Uhm, yes…" Hermione replied, not entirely sure what to say after Katie's joke. The black haired girl chose to ignore her unease and began dealing the cards.

"Be careful, that one is absolutely ruthless when it comes to card games. Oh and never challenge her to a swordfight, she totally trashed Katie with a mace," Harry warned his friend while Leanne did her best to look innocent, which failed spectacularly as she had already picked up her hand and been eyeing the cards with a calculating expression.

"A mace?"

"It was a warhammer."

"Warhammer?" Hermione echoed again, her mouth still wide open.

"It's completely harmless. My Aunt has a totally wicked training room with all kinds of stuff, from benches for weightlifting to a weapon rack and enchanted protection gear. You can take a full force axe swing to the arm and it won't even bruise," Harry quickly explained, even if it meant stopping Leanne's antics. He really didn't want Hermione to get the wrong impression when it came to the Tonks.

"When Katie got the badge, I challenged her to a duel for it. I wanted a water fight, mind you, but then Dora said she'd take care of it. The next day a pair of paintball markers were waiting for us, complete with a transfigured set which looked like the town square in a Western. That one ended with three draws, so we tried something else," the older girl added as if she was talking about Fortescue's newest sundae and not melee combat.

"Dora?"

"My cousin, who's simply the best. Dora taught me how to swim and then took me to the beach, to the movie theatre and we played a lot of football…" the wizard trailed off with a wide grin on his face.

"Sounds like you had a great holiday…"

"The best" Harry repeated with unhinged enthusiasm.

"Then why does the Prophet make your family sound like they are dark witches in training, planning a coup d'etat?"

"To be honest, I haven't read that rag after the special issue about Andi's "takeover of the Wizengamot", but she pissed off quite a few of the old purebloods when she got the Lady Black title and then the Malfoy divorce came out so she isn't the most popular person right now."

"That's an underestimation if I've ever heard one. There were ninety-seven articles about Andromeda and Nymeria…"

"Nymphadora, although you ought to call her Dora or Tonks," Harry pointed out, happily recalling the many times his cousin had been complaining about her mother's idea of a good name. The Tonks were definitely far from the average family, but he wouldn't change a single thing about them. "If they couldn't even get that straight, what does that say about their articles?"

"Nothing good," Hermione conceded after a short pause. "Are you happy there?"

"Yes, definitely the best summer I've had. It is a little strange that adults really care about me, but they are really going out of their way to make me feel welcome," Harry said and blushed, not very comfortable talking about the subject.

"You definitely look better…" Hermione began but paused as her cheeks reddened.

"Your new haircut is rather striking as well," the wizard quipped, flicking one of the brown curls back at his friend. While still a mess rivalling his own, cutting it to shoulder length made it stand up at odd angles instead of being dragged down by its own weight. Leanne just sniggered, watching the two younger students make fools out of themselves.

"Well, the new glasses and clothes are nice, but I meant you look… lighter, happier..." the brunette stuttered.

"You should have seen him when he got Sirius' letter on the last day of the term. He was practically bouncing around the Express," Leanne threw in.

"What exactly happened last year? Your letter only said that Sirius was innocent and got some cousin of his to take care of you... Which was not reassuring, at all."

And so Harry retold the events which led to Sirius escaping and Pettigrew being kissed as well as the adult's reactions to his dumbfounded friend.

"What's worse, Sirius thinks that there was no trial, but when Aunt Andi poked around in the Ministry archives she found out that they tried him in absence and used his shocked ramblings as a confession of guilt. Dumbledore even testified that Sirius was the secret keeper when he cast the Fidelius-charm because he didn't know that there was a switch afterwards."

"I take that you aren't the headmaster's largest fan right now."

"Not really… I mean, he did everything right, but it still led to the wrong results. But some of our adventures at Hogwarts… You know that we have been through a lot if smuggling a dragon was one of the harmless things."

"Wait, dragon smuggling?" Leanne cut in. "You definitely forgot to mention that."

"Remember the one morning when Gryffindor suddenly had 150 points missing? Hagrid had gotten himself a baby dragon and we helped him get it away before he was thrown into jail over it. Of course, Malfoy had to be a dick and managed to get us and Neville into trouble."

"Was that the reason for the wraith detention in the Forbidden Forest?"

"Yeah. Not one of my brightest moments…"

"My parents didn't like it either," Hermione admitted meekly.

"You told your parents about that?"

"That… and everything else. Not that I intended to, mind you, but I was really tired and it just slipped out..."

"Oh..."

"They were not very happy about it, even wanted to take me out of Hogwarts, but there's really no other choice. Every Muggleborn has to get at least three OWLs before they can decide to leave the magical world, otherwise, the Ministry will obliviate anything past our eleventh birthday and they are not gentle about it. Brain damage is a rather common result."

"And after you take the OWLs?" Harry asked, not really wanting to know the answer. Even if he wasn't as close with them as before, he couldn't imagine Hogwarts without Ron or Hermione. The well-meant nagging and the wet dreams about the Cannons were just part of his experience at the magical castle and without them, something would be missing, even if both could be annoying at times.

"I don't know, it really depends on the next two years. And afterwards, I can quit at any point although I really don't want to… I become an adult in the magical world 19 days after our sixth year starts so I'm pretty sure I could find a way to get around my parents, but I can't imagine doing that any more than imagining leaving all of this behind..."

At this point, Harry had no idea what he was supposed to say, so he decided to try something that had worked well on him during the summer and pulled his friend into a sideways hug. Really, what else could he do?

"I mean, I understand where my parents are coming from… From what we have seen Hogwarts doesn't have the best track record with Voldemort, the basilisk and the dementors… But I don't want to leave Hogwarts… I don't want to leave you… I, I like it here… I don't think I'd ever fit in back in the normal world, I never did before… I love them, I really do, but choosing between them and..." Hermione rambled on, her eyes glistening with unshed tears but she managed to avoid crying by clinging to the seeker's arm and burrowing her head between him and the fabric of the seat. Half a year ago, that move would have had him flinching, but after a summer with Dora had changed his opinion on and reaction to hugs. Although he really could have done without being poked with nipple-tipped fingers.

"Hermione, sometimes you don't think things through. Even if you didn't go to Hogwarts, you can still use magic once you are of age. And we can still be friends," Harry offered carefully. While he couldn't do anything about most of her problems, he could reassure her of one thing. After all, thanks to her academic frenzy, he had experienced the anxiety about losing a friend just a few months earlier. And yet he didn't feel like rubbing that into his friend's face since apparently, her summer had been far worse than his.

"But we wouldn't see each other anymore…"

"Hermione, there's this thing called apparation, which moves you 500 miles in like a second."

"But you need to be of age to get a license."

"You said it yourself, this will be an issue for 19 days, then you are an adult. Besides, worst case I ask Dora to bring me over to your house."

"She would do that?" the brunette asked with a glimmer of hope sparkling in her brown eyes.

"Granger… Hermione, Tonks took us to France at least twenty times this summer and then popped across half of Western Europe because she felt like eating an authentic Italian Pizza from Napoli or Tarte Flambee from Strasbourg, I doubt she would mind taking the twenty seconds to drop her favourite cousin off at your doorstep," Leanne cut in. She had enjoyed the beach trips and spent quite a lot of time talking to the Metamorph, glad to get another adult perspective on the life in magical Britain. Her mother had moved from Singapore before it declared its independence in the sixties and was now working for British Rail while her father ran a plumbing service in Rochester, so Katie's father had been the only one she could have talked to about magic before.

"You have been to France? Twenty times?"

With that, the conversation moved to lighter topics as the train made its way to Scotland. Katie made her way back to their compartment soon afterwards and the girls made it clear that Harry had no luck when it came to card games. The older Tonks dominating everyone else at strategy games he could live with, but after ten rounds were played and he hadn't won once, Harry began to resent his bad luck and was glad when the lunch trolley arrived. Honeydukes' chocolate might not make him win every game, but it definitely lifted his spirits.

* * *

Being completely drenched from the rain, the Great Hall was felt like the best place in the world. Harry sat down near one of the large fireplaces and basked in its warmth as Katie and Hermione chose seats next to him. A few drying and warming charms took care of their imminent problems, although his first attempt was a little too enthusiastic and ended with a scorched robe. While more and more students made their way to their House tables, the three Gryffindors watched as the Professors seated themselves. However, just as Snape was about to take his customary chair, the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher reached inside the sleeve of his tattered coat and gave the Slytherin a jerky shake of the head, his hand still resting on his wand. They faced off for a long moment before Snape hissed something and stalked down the elevated row of chairs, fuming and trying to gain as much distance as possible from the new teacher.

"Well, whoever that is, Leanne is going to like him."

"Who's the other new teacher?" Hermione wanted to know, ignoring Katie's remark and nodded towards a blonde woman about to sit down.

"Isn't that last year's head girl?"

Harry tried to get a better look at the young witch but the fifth table was rather far away from his seat and he couldn't see the faces there very well.

"Oh my God, that really Penelope. I wonder what she will be teaching."

"History obviously, although she is sitting in Snape's chair," Katie pointed out.

"But that's only because the new Defence teacher scared Snape off…"

Whatever else Hermione intend to say was cut off by Professor McGonagall leading a wet batch of first years into the Hall, all of them staring at the enchanted ceiling in awe. A few of them were leaving a trail of water behind, positively drenched as if they had not only been through a rainstorm but through the lake itself after their boat had capsized and shaking badly.

"Why has no one dried them off? The water has to be freezing." Hermione asked a little too loud, causing more than one student to turn towards her. "They have to be freezing."

"So? If I understood Harry correctly, and I'm sure I have, the teachers sent four firsties and a man without a wand to hunt down some monster which was actually a shade of Vol-Voldemort. Do you really think that something as mundane as hypothermia would bother them?" Katie asked and Harry began counting down for the inevitable eruption of Mt Granger. But to his surprise, the accustomed reaction when someone badmouthed a teacher never came.

"But… Right. Well, at least we ought to make sure that the new Gryffindors don't die before the feast is over."

It was strange to see that side of his friend and Harry decided that it didn't suit her at all. Hermione should the eager girl trying to learn everything about magic, not the broody pessimist. That used to be his job but apparently, her parents' words have had more impact than he first thought. Then the Sorting Hat sang about a year filled with trials and hardships to overcome by working together and Harry just knew that he would get buggered once more. A wave of crushing dread washed over him as he realised that the jokes he made about ending up in the tournament may very well become real if even a bloody hat deemed it necessary to issue warnings.

* * *

"Why is Neville staring at you like you had eaten his toad and not a plate of shepherd's pie?" Hermione wanted to know once Harry had finished his second helping of Treacle Tart and felt like he was about to burst.

"I have no idea, haven't seen him once during the holidays. No letters either."

Looking up the Gryffindor table, Harry noticed that both Ron and Neville shooting him dark looks. He had sent his redheaded friend a letter only to receive no response, so what was this about? And what had gotten Neville's knickers in a twist? The boy was staring at him with undiluted hatred as if he wished that looks could kill. Well, at least Malfoy had not tired to start some trouble...

"Now that we are all fed and watered, may I have your attention please?" Dumbledore's magically amplified voice echoed through the Great Hall, stopping all conversations instantly. "It is a great pleasure to welcome Alastor Moody, former Head Auror and instructor at the MLE Academy as your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

The following applause was moderate, with the Slytherins and quite a few Ravenclaws not participating. Meanwhile, Harry tried to get a better look at the man Dora had gushed about quite often. He had known that Mad-Eye was supposed to be scarred, but with the veteran of two civil wars now looking up and at the student body, he could see just how much Moody had been through if his face was any indicator. Missing the tip of his nose, an ear and a lot of hair would be enough to prove his worth, but the mess that was his skin made anything Harry had been through look like a scraped knee. Entire chunks of skin were missing while other places were deformed by scar tissue and badly healed wounds. Yet the old man had a challenging expression on his face, daring anyone to try something.

"And I am sure most of you are familiar with the second addition to the teaching staff, Miss Penelope Clearwater. She will take over Muggle Studies after proving her superior skill over Professor Burbage, who has transferred to Dublin Academy."

This time the applause was even more sparse since no one knew how to react to that announcement. Most students were surprised that you could actually become a Professor that way, although quite a few did not care about the subject at all. After all, it was just Muggle Studies. Yet Dumbledore and the young teacher seemed both unfussed by the rather frosty welcome. Harry had no idea what to expect from Penelope, but as a Muggleborn she ought to be better than what he had seen of Burbage during the last term.

"It is also a great honour announce that the Triwizard Tournament will return and Hogwarts will be the host…"

While the headmaster explained the basics of the competition, Harry couldn't find a reason to be happy about the entire thing. For one, it had gotten Quidditch cancelled and the Gryffindor seeker was dying to try out some of the plays he had seen during the World Cup. Second, he doubted that the age restriction would stop anyone from entering, considering that the last time something had been "protected" in the Castle, the security measures could be circumvented by a group of first years. And lastly, who in their right mind would design a school competition where every second contestant died? Even the gladiators in the Colosseum had better odds than that.

"Our guests will arrive on the 30th of October, while the Champions will be chosen on All Hallows' Eve…"

If Harry had needed another sign that he would end up in the bloody tournament, there it was.

* * *

 **AN:**

In case you are wondering why there's no "Dumbledore rushes Harry to his office on some flimsy excuse" scene: Canon Dumbledore preferred the hands-off approach, watching things unfold from a distance instead of forcing a confrontation where he gets trash-talked by a teenager. The man outlived the two darkest wizards of his age, so he is certainly not an impulsive idiot. Also, no Sorting Hat song because once you've read a few fics, they tend to become repetitive.


	11. September

"Your results in Defence and especially Charms improved remarkably, but I hope you will earn better marks in your second elective this term, Mr Potter," Professor McGonagall said curtly before she turned to a pair of second years, handing each of the excited girls a large parchment with their new schedule. The first morning of the year always followed the same routine, and this term was definitely no exception. A breakfast fit for the Queen was piled on the House Tables, pushing even the sturdy wood to its limits while the Heads were busy giving everyone their new timetable.

"Second elective? I thought you switched to Muggle Studies," Hermione asked, trying to comprehend how anyone could have failed an exam where she had scored 324%.

"I mean, not that I could tell you the current president of France, but I'm pretty sure that it is not Napoleon - "

"The correct answer was Napoleon III - "

"How is this any different?" Harry hissed. While it had been very amusing to see how utterly clueless the few purebloods in the class were, the end of year exam had been absolutely brutal, requiring them to learn completely outdated facts from an equally outdated book. And while she meant well, his friend's tone was still off-putting.

"They were forty years apart - Why do you think I dropped my best class? I enjoy learning new things, but that course has been an utter waste of my time because most of the material is so out of date that it is plain wrong. The Telegraph is definitely not the fastest form of communication which doesn't rely on magic."

"You're not going to berate me for choosing the easy way again?" Harry wanted to know. Despite his teasing tone, Hermione blushed and looked down at her hands while she tried to come up with an answer.

"Well, you chose the easiest way," she said and held up her hand to stop her friend from objecting. "You chose the easiest way and there's nothing wrong with that. Catching up with an entire year worth of material within a month while simultaneously preparing for the other exams is simply impossible. You would have to repeat the subject and I am not even sure if that is possible. And to be honest, I doubt that you would enjoy Runes or Arithmancy."

"Who are you and what have you done to Hermione Granger?"

"Just had a long talk with my parents, prat! But I am not wrong," the witch replied with a smug smile which grew even wider once Harry sighed.

"There are some interesting things you can do with Runes, but the class sounds boring. Not as bad as Arithmancy, but bad enough."

"Arithmancy is really fascinating for understanding the theory behind the spells," Hermione began eagerly, only to spot Harry's exaggerated grimace. "Honestly, I don't understand how you can learn any spell without a solid understanding of the magical theory behind it - "

"How does knowing who invented a spell or which illogical law of magic limits it help you cast it? You only need the wand motions and the visualisation. Well, and the incantation of course - But do we really need to discuss this before I had my second cup of tea?"

"Well I guess we can wait until Lunch," the brunette quipped and Harry let his head drop on the table, a silly smile on his face. He had missed the carefree banter during the last year and it was good that things were mostly back to normal with Hermione. She could still annoy him sometimes, but he was sure that he was at least equally annoying to her. Now if only he knew what had gotten Ron's knickers in a twist -

"Morning Harry, Hermione," Katie grumbled before reaching for the nearest teapot and some milk. While Harry liked to joke that he needed some caffeine to function properly, his friend was usually half asleep until breakfast was over.

"Miss Bell, there you are," the Head of Gryffindor said over the return greetings and began sifting through her pile of parchment. "Your Charms and Care exams were really well last year, I hope you can keep that up while improving your Transfiguration results," the Scottish professor said with another timetable in her hand before her expression hardened and she marched towards the Weasley twins.

"So, how bad is it?" Harry wanted to know after he noticed Katie's horrified expression.

"Thursday has double Potions, double Transfiguration, Care, double Charms and then Astronomy. At least I have nothing Monday and Tuesday afternoon off. When's your first date with Snape?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, and I have a double lesson there as well. Otherwise, things are looking well this year. I can sleep in on Mondays and on Wednesdays after Astronomy."

"I'd like to express my sincere condolences for your Friday and steal your Monday," Katie replied and snatched his timetable. "Yup, definitely the best Monday I've seen in my Hogwarts time. Sleep until lunch, two hours with Hagrid and then two hours Muggle Studies. No matter how Clearwater turns out to be, that's an awesome day."

"Well, it's difficult to be worse than Burbadge - "

"She could channel her inner Snape," Hermione quipped and used a goblet full of orange juice to hide her grin. The utterly shocked expression of her friends definitely made that a difficult task.

"Don't even joke about that!"

* * *

After surviving a Friday, where Snape tried his best to ruin the holiday mood, it was weekend again and Harry was roped into a game of Monopoly by Colin Creevey and his brother Dennis, whose greatest achievement so far had been capsizing on the Black Lake and getting fished out by the Great Squid. To the surprise of everyone present, Leanne was bankrupted first by an innocent looking blonde named Demelza. The second year went ahead and cleared out both Creeveys before a gamble didn't work out and trapped her in a downward spiral to insolvency. At the four hour mark, only Harry, Katie and Hermione were left. The Weasley twins offered to sneak into Hogsmeade for snacks and drinks and returned just past ten, carrying baskets stuffed to the brim with butterbeer, chips and everything a side trip to the kitchens provided.

"So Ladies, what's all this about?" Fred wanted to know once their delivery was done.

"Well, you can buy areas and if other players go there they have to pay you," Katie explained while giving a smug looking Hermione 800£. "If you own all areas of one colour, you can spend money to make them more expensive for other players."

"And that is real money?

"Of course not, just some transfigured parchment. Usually, you play with really fake looking game currency, but we decided to spice things up with magic."

"Who's winning?"

"No one, Katie and I control most of the board, but Hermione managed to block quite a few streets and is stalling," Harry answered Fred's question.

"So, why did you feel like sending us off to Hogsmeade? Not that we mind the Galleon, but don't you think that this is a little too much?" George asked with a gesture at the large pile of snacks he and his brother had acquired.

"Monopoly is a really long game. And I mean really long. We'll probably be sitting here until three in the morning - "

"Yes, I wonder whose fault that is," Katie cut in, shooting an exaggerated dark look at Hermione's scattered properties.

"You're just mad that I bought three stations from Leanne."

"Stupid best friend betrayed me just because I took all her money before she landed on Mel's Fleet Street," Katie grumbled and sparked a round of laughter.

"So all you do is throw a dice and buy stuff? There's no magic, no talking figures or animated buildings?" one of the twins wanted to know once everyone had calmed down.

"The magic is back-stabbing friends and taking their cash until they have nothing left," Hermione explained with a coy smile as Harry had to pay her two hundred pounds. The young wizard deliberately gave her the smallest banknotes he owned, adding to the enormous pile of tenners his friend had accumulated that way.

"Brother mine, perhaps we can make some money off this money-centred game."

"Yes, imagine small goblin minecarts handling all the transactions - "

"Or real looking houses which slowly add up to a magical village - "

"Perhaps we ought to look into Muggle games some more - "

"Anyway, I wondered if you could tell me why Ron and Neville look at me like ate their pets? Or why Ron hasn't replied to my letters?" Harry cut in before the twins would get too carried away while Hermione had to pay income tax. The seeker was concerned about his friend because even after mulling over things for two days, he came up with nothing. And he could only take so many dark looks before they started to get bloody annoying.

"As for Longbottom, we have no idea, but surely you know about Ron," the one wearing the F-labeled sweater asked coldly.

"Like I said, I don't know. I didn't shag your sister or your mother, I didn't eat Scabbers, hell, I haven't even cracked a single joke about the Cannons. And apparently you know what's up so could you please tell me why my friend behaves like an arse?"

"I doubt that you of all people don't know that. After all, you are responsible - "

"Responsible for what?" Harry hissed. First, he did not understand Ron and now the twins acted odd as well.

"Don't you remember a certain letter from our mother?" the other twin wanted to know. "We understand that she can be a little much sometimes, but - "

"Please tell me your mum didn't send a member of the Wizengamot a howler."

"You - You don't know?"

"After that article, Aunt Andi got an entire room full of howlers and cursed mail. She dumped everything to the DMLE without even opening one package. I have honestly no idea where things went from that point. What's the fine for howlers anyway?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling very tired. His emotions towards Mrs Weasley were a mess at this point because she took him in before his second year, but she also did nothing about the Dursleys even though she had to suspect at least something. The hero of the magical world is not supposed to wear castoffs far too large for him, nor needing rescue because he was being starved behind barred windows. She had even said that she had been worried.

"50 Galleons, but that's not the point - Look, uhm, well, we will talk with our brother and mother - If you really had no idea - " Fred trailed off, still deep in thought.

"You really didn't…"

"No George, I - I am not the biggest fan of your mother after she dismissed how my relatives treated me and apparently she insulted my family, but I wouldn't just sic the DMLE at her. I'm not Malfoy, you know."

"We'll see what we can do, but you know how stubborn she can be - "

The sombre mood lasted a few minutes after the twins went upstairs but was eventually broken when Hermione landed on Katie's Regent Street and the 5th-year did a small victory jig due to the four houses there.

* * *

On Monday afternoon, Harry walked into the Muggle Studies classroom. He was in a good mood after Hagrid lesson, even if some strange crossbreeds, which could do absolutely nothing, were not the most interesting thing. Creatures which Hagrid considered interesting had a tendency to be life-threatening in eleven out of ten cases anyway. The Gryffindor hoped that the subject would improve with the new professor. While certainly better than Divination, learning from a book which considered the Rorke's Drift a recent event was not his definition of a good lesson and so Muggle Studies turned out to be a mixed bag last year.

Besides Fay Dunbar, who sat with Megan Jones and Zacharias Smith, there was no other Gryffindor in the room. Therefore Harry chose a seat next to a window in the second row, not too close to the teacher's desk but not too far away either. The door opened again and the missing students, mostly Ravenclaws walked in and occupied the remaining seats in the classroom. Three of them sat down next to him. Lisa Turpin, who shared his hair colour but not its untamable nature, kept shooting the two others, Sue Li and Terry Boot, dark looks. After a moment of careful observation, Harry noticed that those two were awfully close, something they had not been during dinner the previous day.

"Are they an item?" the Gryffindor asked after a moment of consideration. Apparently sleeping in on one day was enough to get out of touch with the rumour mill.

"Yup, and it's bloody annoying. They spent the last few weeks before the summer pining after each other and last night Terry asked Sue to be his girlfriend - and she didn't shut up about it till three in the morning. Today Sue ignores pretty much everything and just stares at her new boyfriend and he does the same to her. I really feel like locking both in a broom closet for a couple hours so they get the whole sickly-cute new couple thing out of the way. Maybe also cast a contraceptive charm for good measure - "

A loud bang cut the Ravenclaw off as the doors snapped shut and the new teacher marched in with military precision. A wave of her wand slammed all shutters into their frames. While the classroom became darker the closer Clearwater got to her desk. Harry had a distinct sense of dread and deja vu, even if Snape had never used such theatrics.

"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly shimmering telly with its ensnaring programs - I can teach you how to travel the world, learn the legacy of Empires far beyond your imagination, even reverse parking in a single turn - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach," the new teacher said as she stalked into the classroom, imitating Snape down to the billowing robes before her mock glare broke into a wide smile. "Good morning class, my name is Penelope Clearwater, perhaps you remember me from last year and are wondering how I got here, again."

The young woman sat down on the edge of her desk and a pair of hazel eyes mustered the students in front of them. Compared to the last term, she had cut her blonde hair to shoulder length and while in Harry's opinion, she still looked kind and gentle, it definitely made her look older.

"The truth is that I never wanted this job. I never applied for it but in the end, had no choice but to take it. There are a bunch of Hogwarts bylaws you should know, but I bet that half of you didn't know that Hogwarts had bylaws that went beyond don't break the rules."

This drew some murmurs of agreement and even Harry had to admit that he only knew that they existed. Andi had mentioned them once or twice, but never went into much detail.

"Last year, I signed up for the Muggle Studies NEWT without ever taking the subject. People told me that it was an easy O, so I figured why not. Imagine my surprise when I get my results and there's a note congratulating me to the highest score in the close to one hundred years this subject exists. To make a long story short, I explained how I did that and what was wrong with Professor Burbage's lessons and the Department of Education saw that as successfully challenging Burbage. I was unaware of a bylaw which stated that proving a teacher as unqualified means you take over his job. It used to be done by defeating him in mortal combat, usually over the Defence professorship. Basically, I got a child-friendly Klingon Promotion - If you don't know what a Klingon is, your first homework is to find that out! Anyways apparently, doing that implies that you are applying for the position and another that regulates that anyone applying enters into a magical contract with a minimum duration of a year. This is a complete list of the Hogwarts bylaws. Read them, learn them. There will be no test, but they contain all sorts of knowledge about situations you could end up in if you have bad luck."

A stack of small, leather-bound books flew through the room and dropped one in front of each student. Meanwhile, Professor Clearwater closed all shades, leaving a single candle as the only light source.

"Now, who of you knows how to write and pronounce electricity? Congratulations, you could probably get an EE if you took your OWL right now. As you know, the standards of Muggle Studies are generally quite low because my predecessor has probably never stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron. I have at least two years to fix that. The greatest challenge here is to make the subject interesting for all those who have actually been inside a car - Tell me, how would you go about watching a movie at Hogwarts? Miss Abbot?"

"Uhm, Muggle technology doesn't work at Hogwarts," the pigtailed Hufflepuff stuttered.

"Jones?"

"Go to the nearest Cinema?" Hannah's friend suggested, also not sounding very convinced of herself.

"That would work, but I meant watching it here. Potter?"

"Maybe get an isolated telly?"

"EMP insulation might work, but it is very expensive, and you'd need a special generator as well. Dunbar?"

"Runes?"

"Miss Dunbar, you can do pretty much everything with runes. The difficulty is not suggesting to use runes but thinking how to apply them to the given problem. So, how would you do it?" the young teacher wanted to know, enthusiasm clearly audible. Compared to the previous year it was an obvious and massive improvement. While Burbage found Muggles fascinating, much like Arthur Weasley she had never bothered with proper research.

"Maybe, maybe use runes on something like a portrait frame or a mirror to record the movie from somewhere and watch the recording here," the brunette suggested slowly while still thinking about other ways to solve this problem.

"A little complicated, but that should work. Ten points to Gryffindor. Indeed, runes are the path I chose to show you movies. However, instead of setting up a remote viewing system I rigged an old projector to replace any electrical parts with rune powered ones and a gramophone in a similar way for the sound. To all those familiar with a telly this might look a little old-fashioned, but it will do for our purposes. Now, how many of you have heard of the Berlin Air Lift?"

It was a little hard to tell in the dark room, but at least half of the hands were raised, Harry's included. He didn't know much beyond the name and that it was probably related to the city of Berlin, but that's what the Professor asked.

"And who has heard of the Cold War?"

This time, nearly all hands were raised as the projector illuminated a white rectangle behind the teacher's desk.

"The Second World War?"

"That's the one with Grindelwald, right?"

Even in the dim light, Harry could see how the teacher pinched the bridge of her nose at Megan Jones' comment. It was a valid question in his mind, since the three sentences their ghostly history professor had wasted on Grindelwald gave that impression.

"Grindelwald is responsible for thirty thousand casualties at most. While that means that nearly one out of ten witches and Wizards in Britain was either killed or wounded by him or his followers, the overall numbers are low, almost neglectable, compared to the muggle side. Many battles during the Second World War lead to hundreds of thousands of casualties, some even to millions. The overall death toll was around seventy millions," Professor Clearwater said and an uneasy silence followed while she was thinking what to say next. "Grindelwald, contrary to popular belief, was not Hitler's puppet master and there was little cooperation between those two. But Grindelwald is a topic for Professor Binns - Today, we will be covering the first major confrontation of the Cold War, and you should pay close attention to the problems the Allies faced and then compare their solutions to the ones you can envision with magic."

The large rolls on top of the projector began to turn and a sobering black and white image of a woman shovelling rubble in front of a burned out church appeared when a narrator began to talk. " _In the summer of 1948, the world was at a cross. Many European cities remained in ruins from the war, the Western Allies and the Soviet Union were locked in a confrontation over the future of a defeated Germany…"_

* * *

An hour later, Professor Clearwater asked them to find a study partner for the remaining year since they would be doing a lot of project work in her class. Harry looked to his left, where Lisa was glaring at her best friend. Sue was once more dreamily staring at Terry and the black-haired girl shrugged before turning around to the Gryffindor.

"Guess you are stuck with me, Harry."

"Stuck with you? If you knew how terrible my last exams were, you'd say that you are stuck with me," he laughed in response.

"Well, at least we will not be talking about how great Zeppelins are this year."

"No you will not," their teacher cut in, leaning against Harry's table. "Lisa, about the betting pool - "

"You won fair and square - "

"Yes, and now that I am a teacher there is no way I could accept the money. I would be fired immediately, even if it is only 40 Galleons in total. You and Patricia both bet on Bulgaria, so you should simply split the pot," Professor Clearwater said in a hushed tone and Harry was surprised that the other students paid her no mind. Then again, the blonde was at least twenty years younger than her colleagues and, having been a student a less than three months ago, blended in with the other people in the room with unexpected ease.

"I can't take the money I didn't win and Pat certainly doesn't need it either," Lisa pointed out and curled a strand of hair around her finger while trying to think of something. "Professor Flitwick said that any kind of debt is quite serious in the magical world and that we should always avoid having them over our head whenever possible. Can't we resolve this without money somehow?"

"Haven't even thought about that, but a good point. I, of all people, should know that magic sometimes traps you in unexpected situations and the last thing I'd want is getting a harem filled with my students because we didn't settle a bet and some weird pureblood law from 1453 states that if debts are not repaid within a certain period, the firstborn daughter in marriage is considered adequate compensation."

"There are laws like that?" Harry wanted to know, reminding the two witches that they were not actually alone.

"I haven't the foggiest, but there was a law which turns every complaint about the incompetence of a teacher into a magically binding application, so I wouldn't be surprised - Tell you what, I'll talk to Dumbledore, he knows those bloody laws better than anyone else does. Oh and I should probably tell you that your first topic will be the Industrial Revolution. Don't go into too much detail, each group only gets ten minutes. I'll give you a few sources at the end of the lesson."

* * *

The week passed relatively eventless while the teachers tried to make sure they still knew which end of the wand did what. Suddenly it was Thursday and Harry found himself in the Defense classroom, waiting for the infamous Mad-Eye to start the lesson. From what Katie said, it was impossible to describe but something he had to experience himself. The roll call went by and Moody lingered on the children whose parents had been involved with Voldemort. Once the formalities were out of the way, he got a pretty good idea what his older friend had meant.

"As you are aware, I am Alastor Moody, longtime Auror and all that stuff you can read in the Daily Prophet. I may not be a pretty sight, but I am still alive to teach you while quite a few of the pretty faces are rotting in Azkaban now, or worse. How did I get here? CONSTANT VIGILANCE! You have heard of the World Cup _riots_ , where a few drunkards killed hundreds, or so you were told. The truth is, more people died in the panic, killed by fools who tried to run like headless chickens, than by those who style themselves the new order. Ten Death Eaters and two dozen hired wands, idiots whose only redeeming quality is the ability to cast a few curses. That's all it took to defeat a hundred thousand. I crossed wands with the Dark Lord once, and not even he could have taken on that many. So, what went wrong at the World Cup?" Moody wanted to know, his artificial eye jerking left and right.

"The people were stupid," Malfoy muttered to himself, but apparently, their professor had not only improved eyesight.

"Correct _Malfoy_ , the people were stupid. Half of the crowd was running around without their wands - Of course, they were only in that position because certain scum was allowed to bribe its way out of freedom - DRAW YOUR WANDS!"

The following scramble was pure chaos as most people carried their foci in pockets or their bags and had to shuffle to get them. Parvati Patil fell down her chair while Millicent Bulstrode got her sleeve tangled in the leg of her table. Malfoy was still seething and Harry could practically hear the " _my father will hear of this"_.

"Nice holster Potter, one of Pinky's?"

"Pinky, sir?"

"This tall, easy on the eyes, hates her name, does funny stuff with her hair, never looks the same - Does that ring a bell?"

"Uhm, yes, one of hers," Harry admitted over the commotion in the background. His respect for Moody just went up a notch simply for getting away with that nickname for his cousin before he realised that he had just admitted to not so legally owning restricted Ministry property.

"Good, you're the only one in this room who actually has a fighting chance - ALL OTHERS WOULD BE DEAD. ONE student got his wand out in under two seconds, FOUR in under five seconds. The rest of you would be lucky if they'd just kill you instead of playing their sick games. DO you know what these UPSTANDING citizens do to witches they consider beneath them? What they did at the World Cup while the Aurors were busy chasing their comrades? They tied them up naked before taking turns. They used objects and even transfigured animals. Dogs, pigs and even a Niffler. That's why you have to take this subject. To PROTECT your life and your loved ones."

"But, he-who-must-not-be-named is gone, right?" Sophie Turner asked, face white and looking ill after their teacher's attempt to motivate them.

"Dumbledore says he's still out there, but it doesn't matter. People thought they were safe when Grindelwald was defeated and not even thirty years later the murders were back in full force. Families were wiped out, wives raped in front of their husbands, children taken as hostages to ensure their families cooperation. As you could see at the World Cup, scum doesn't need a Dark Lord to kill and torture. It is my job to give you a fighting chance and I have one year to whip you into shape. This class will follow a simple pattern. Each of you owns two books, _77 Curses_ and _Defending against the Dark_. For each lesson, you will study two curses and write about them, how to recognise them and how you can counter them. This will be your homework until June. Additionally, you will read one chapter of _Defending against the Dark_ to the point where you can discuss the material in class. Questions? No? Good, then let's begin. Potter, since you were the first to draw, you will be my assistant today. Get up here and defend yourself!"

When the bell rang and released them from Moody's presence, Harry felt dead on his feet. The former Auror had been toying with him for half an hour before they had to face off against a randomly assigned classmate. While he had soundly defeated Lavender without getting stunned even once, Harry wanted nothing more than to fall into his bed and sleep until Monday. Or maybe sneak into the Prefects' bathroom and spend the next few hours soaking in water hot enough to wash all tiredness from his sore muscles. Moody had been mildly impressed by his tactic of always moving before he stepped up his game and put even more pressure on Harry, something the teenager could feel in his bones. Overall, it had been a good lesson and he was already dreading the next one.

* * *

Working on the Muggle Studies project with Lisa Turpin turned out to be nice. The Ravenclaw was a decent work partner, even if her morale was inconsistent. When interested in something, mostly Runes, the girl could prattle on much like Hermione. And while a lot more practical than his longtime friend, Harry still didn't understand more than one word out of four. But when the topic at hand bored her, the amount of muttered complaints could put Ron to shame. Therefore, when it was her turn to read a rather detailed text about the Agricultural Revolution, which preceded the Industrial one, she nearly made Madam Prince throw them out of the library a couple times.

Naturally, they didn't just talk about academics. In all the hours they spent reading up on the development of the steam engine or the Spinning Jenny, picking what they'd put into the mandatory lecture and cutting material so they'd fit into the given time, Harry learned that the Ravenclaw absolutely loved Astronomy and Ancient Runes. She enjoyed reading magical history books since "they read like fantasy novels" and yet despised Binns and his lessons. Lisa's father had died in the war, before she had been born and she had grown up with her mother and her longtime boyfriend, whom Julie Turpin had married a year ago. Lisa admitted that it was a little odd to call Marcus Edwards "dad", even though he was now technically her dad. But no matter the address, Marcus had been filling that role for the last decade.

"The only magical relative I have is a squib, and while I love Auntie Susan, she can't do anything about accidental magic and I had the tendency to change the colour of things."

"I, uhm, turned my teacher's hair blue once," Harry offered a little unsure. He definitely had a history with accidental magic, but colour changing wasn't really a common occurrence.

"Really? I wish I could do that. Most of the time, I was just changing the wallpaper from white to green to pink. Actually can do that wandless now," the Ravenclaw said and after a moment of intense concentration, the parchment she had been writing on became blue. "Probably the most useless magical skill there is. It doesn't even work on fabric."

"Well, it is still wandless magic," Harry pointed out, his own efforts not looking much better. He had figured out how to turn create a magical light on his fingertips, but his attempt at imitating Luke Skywalker on Dagobah was currently stuck at a feather. Dora had told him that it took her nearly five years until she could lift a brick, but making virtually no progress was annoying nonetheless.

"It's the only bloody charm I'm good at. I mean, I can do the stuff Flitwick assigns us, but they feel a lot more difficult to me," Lisa huffed. "Really, what can you do with that charm besides interior decoration, which has to be one the most boring magical professions out there!"

"Might be your wand."

"My wand?"

"Well, I got a new one over the holidays and my transfigurations suck now but charms are far easier. Might be that yours is good for - well - decorating."

Lisa stared at him with furrowed brows, but a mirthful spark remained in her brown eyes. "You buy into the whole sentient wand bull Ollivander keeps going about?"

"Not really, but I know that different woods and cores all have their strengths and weaknesses, much like a screwdriver isn't much good if you want to nail something to the wall," the Gryffindor speculated.

"So I bought a magical paintbrush - You think I can still get a refund?"

Lisa's comment made Harry laugh loud enough that Madam Prince threw them out for the evening, something the Ravenclaw wouldn't shut up about for the next week. He took the ribbing in stride because while she could get on his nerves, it still made him smile. Even her theories about Malfoy were amusing, although leaving him in need of oblivation.

"He has a crush on you and his two minions have a crush on him. It's the classic love-triangle, well love-pyramid," the black haired girl explained for the tenth time, a smile tugging at her pouty lips as she desperately tried to keep her voice deadpan.

"I think I'm going to be sick - "

"And all those arguments are unresolved sexual tension. Draco is riling you up so you get into a heated argument and have hot makeup sex. It's disgusting honestly, why can't you have the decency to take him into the next broom closet and take care of the issue at hand?"

"Those images - they will haunt me forever - "

"I mean, he's following you around like a lovesick puppy and spends most of your Quidditch matches staring at your bum, his eyes following every move you make Harry, wanting nothing more than to tackle you to the ground and take you right there, in the middle of the pitch and in front of the entire school."

"How can you make even Quidditch sound disgusting?"

"I bet you can knock him up. Not exactly sure how that's going to work out anatomically, but he probably spends more time getting ready each morning than my entire dorm. I bet - Ok, that was definitely too much. Wanna hold my hair while I puke my guts out and then I can do the same for you?" Lisa suggested jokingly, but the Gryffindor was relieved that she stopped at this point because otherwise her suggestion could have very well become reality.

* * *

Overall, September was a good month for Harry. Ron had stopped treating him like a Death Eater and they were back on friendly terms, even playing the occasional round of chess and exploding snap. Malfoy, on the other hand, had gone from taunting him at every opportunity last year to merely glaring at him from the shadows. Whatever the blonde may have initially felt over his parents' divorce, it had long since turned into hate and was mostly directed to the Gryffindor. And to add to that, Neville had picked up Ron's slack when it came to mumbled insults. He eventually figured out that it had to be connected to his incarcerated aunt somehow, although Harry wasn't exactly sure what Neville's problem was. Even if Aunt Andy had used his story to blackmail the Minister, Bellatrix had only been moved to a different level of the same prison, albeit one with running water and windproof walls. And he had done it not as a favour for a woman who had been coerced into being a Death Eater, but for the woman who didn't hesitate to take him into her house, to make him a member of her family.

Truth be told, Harry would cross a lot more lines for his new family and was surprised when he occasionally found himself missing them and actually wanting to leave Hogwarts. Those bouts would pass, but it was still a novel experience for someone dreading the summer holidays. The vague desire to be loved had been replaced by a desire to be back at Tonks Hill and listen to the good-natured bickering of his aunt and uncle, watch his cousin do odd things with her metamorphic abilities or be simply hugged by her. Now that Harry knew what he was missing, he understood how the other students felt, understood homesickness. Sometimes he was ashamed of these thoughts, even found them weak, yet other times he wanted nothing more than take the Knights Bus down to Kent. Who knew that having a family could be that confusing?

* * *

 **AN:**

I noticed that this story, at least in some ways, has become rather "Slice of life" like. Which is both a good and a bad thing. When I first envisioned this fic, I thought that 55k words in I'd be past the first task, not at the beginning of October. At the same time, there aren't scenes which feel like unnecessary filler to me. Sure, I could have gone with "tell, don't show" and then jump right in the Triwizard, but that would be like the epilogue we don't talk about. And we've gone from four chapters to cover a day (1,2,3,4) to one covering an entire month (9,11).

In case anyone's wondering, the subject of Muggle Studies itself will not be overly important in the greater scheme of things. The power he knows not will definitely not be calling in artillery strikes or sick drift skills in a '93 Honda Civic. However, it has Harry interacting with Lisa on a regular basis and I have plans for Penelope Clearwater as well. As for her teaching style, she is 18 at this point and never received any formal training, nor has she a teaching degree. "Winging it" is the default method for someone in that situation, much like those first lessons prospective teachers have to do at University. The "Movie" is a literal quote from an old PBS Documentary titled _Gail Halvorsen: The Candy Bomber_ , which can be found on YouTube.


	12. October

Magic, Harry realised once more, worked in mysterious ways. When presented with the possible debt of honour, Professor Dumbledore said that such matters were usually resolved by being sworn into someone's service but minor issues could be resolved with a token effort to show that the debtor acknowledged what he owed. He or she had to make a show, had to go out of their comfort zone to symbolise a willingness to make a sacrifice. Felicity Eastchurch interpreted that as getting a daring haircut and before any teacher could say otherwise, the idea spread like wildfire. And when Dumbledore conceded that this was a valid interpretation, at least for such small debts, everyone was eager to make good use of this opportunity to ignore Hogwarts rules for non-distracting appearance.

Under the headmaster's amused eye, Padma Patil stopped matching her sister and entered the Great Hall sporting a rather impressive weave of braids and curls, with red strands mixed in between. Even with magic, that had probably taken hours of work. Sue Li, a redhead with a slight Welsh dialect, decided to honour her father's side of her family with their ties to the Crown Colony of Hong Kong and, after a generous dose of hair growth potion, dyed her then hip-long hair pitch black. Lisa Turpin, on the other hand, decided that less is more and cut her previously shoulder long mane into a side-swept pixie cut.

Patricia Stimpson, the other person to bet on a Bulgarian victory, changed her hair colour from a dark brunette to hydrogen blonde and then added blue strands for house pride. Felicity Eastchurch out-Malfoyed the Malfoys and shocked everyone with an almost blinding white that relied on some rather impressive charm work for its effect. But definitely the most blatant change was a third year Ravenclaw with protuberant eyes, who had styled her hair in a kaleidoscopic mixture of colours which would be difficult for anyone, including Dora, to imitate. She had also applied an impressive combination of spells, which made the individual colours appear liquid and flow in complete disregard of the laws of physics. Her ponytail had an eerie resemblance with one of those rainbow coloured dusters Petunia Dursley had always given him, Harry noted.

A few of the Ravenclaws stopped after a week, when their debt was officially settled, but once word the "Dye Revolution" got around, the idea quickly gained traction and soon witches and even a few wizards jumped onto the train. After all, how often did the headmaster stop Snape from enforcing the dress code? Perhaps the most noteworthy ones were the Weasley twins, who shaved most of their heads and began a contest of coming up with the most outrageous hairstyle for their remaining strips of ginger hair. Their sister Ginny followed suit but didn't go nearly as far, leaving her with a rather fetching undercut. A few of her year mates tried to make fun of the short redhead by calling her a dyke or kettle licker, but quickly learned the error of their ways when she took them in a one-on-three duel. While Ginny had gotten herself into detention, the two Slytherins and their Hufflepuff companion ended up in Hospital wing, which was still run by Madam Pomfrey. Harry knew that his aunt did her best to get the healer dismissed for not noticing what he had been through, but the wheels of bureaucracy turned slowly.

Hermione may have claimed that she didn't care about Hogwarts latest trend, and while she didn't change her appearance, Harry could see that she was enjoying the fresh wind nonetheless. The brunette definitely didn't manage to hide her small smiles as well as she would have liked to.

But from Harry's point of view, the most enjoyable aspect of the whole debt settlement was watching Snape grimace whenever someone with an odd haircut walked by. After exempting several students from parts of the dress code, Dumbledore abolished those rules altogether and the Head of Slytherin could do nothing about it. The former Death Eater seemed particularly disgruntled whenever the Luna Lovegood, the eccentric Ravenclaw was nearby.

Of course, there was the possibility that Professor Dumbledore just played a practical joke on his employees and the student body. After all, genius and madness were often two sides of the same coin and the headmaster seemed to enjoy the whole thing a tad too much.

* * *

The first Hogsmeade weekend came around and Harry had been counting down the days. Not that Hogsmeade itself was that exciting, he had snuck into the village a couple times after all. But neither the promise of Honeydukes finest chocolates nor Zonko's latest products had sparked Harry's excitement. It had been a letter, telling him to come to the Hogshead where his family had rented a room. After being separated for five weeks, he had wondered if the other students felt it as well or if his homesickness was worse because he only knew his family for two short months compared to the decade his year-mates could look back at.

Lost in those thoughts Harry froze for a moment as he entered the shady pub. A man with an eerie resemblance to the Headmaster of Hogwarts stood at the counter. And while the second glance revealed several differences, a straight nose and a shorter beard being the most noticeable, it was still odd to see a Dumbledore look-alike polishing mugs with a lumpy rag. Not that it was doing the glasses any good, they had probably been a few decades past their prime when his parents were enrolled at Hogwarts.

"Shut the door, boy! Through there," the innkeeper barked with a gesture towards a stairway on the far wall. "Third one on the right!"

Harry crossed the gloomy room, in which everything seemed to be made of wood and covered by dust. A pair of shady looking patrons shared a table in the back, as did three Slytherin seventh years who were halfway through a bottle of Firewhiskey. He went up the mouldy smelling stairs, only to end up in front of a row of pristine looking doors. Knocking on the third one, the Gryffindor was surprised to see it open a couple inches, only to allow a wand to be trained directly at him. Standing in the doorway was a young woman with a mess of black curls cascading down her shoulders, who cracked a big smile once she recognised Harry beneath his raincoat. He soon found himself engulfed in a hug and dragged inside before he could protest.

"Looks like someone missed me," Dora said softly when Harry wrapped his arms around her and stayed like that for a while. Stroking his hair, she led them to the bed and sat down next to Harry, who still was holding onto her. In moments like these, the metamorph wondered which role she had grown into. Sometimes it seemed like she was his big sister or even mother, which was slightly unnerving since she was barely able to take care of herself.

Still, Dora had made a vow to herself and intended to keep it. She would do everything within her power to help her cousin with the aftermath of his time in Surrey and if he wanted a hug then she would gladly do so. Her Auror training had covered the subject of domestic abuse for a minute and only advised to "provide support if needed". Therefore the metamorph had long ago decided to simply wing it. Harry didn't need to be smothered, nor did he break down sobbing whenever his relatives were mentioned. He just didn't experience any love and therefore it wasn't very surprising that he latched onto any form of familiar love like a drowning man. And after a minute, Harry seemed to snap back to the present and pulled a black curl away from his nose. "What's with the hair?"

"Just looking like my mad aunt to scare the shit out of the other guests. Quite funny actually, how everyone talks about all the shit she did towards the end of the war and yet I only remember her as the odd woman who'd visit once in a while and bring me chocolates or stuffed toys - I know, six years old me was easy to impress. Either way, this is also close to what I'd look like without my abilities, so 's not like anyone can give me shit for it."

"I see," the Gryffindor said slowly. "So, how was your week? Did anything exciting happen at the Ministry?"

"Nothing at work, but Vicki, you know, my sorta girlfriend, found out about magic. Turns out that my hair actually changes colours if you stroke it while I sleep."

"And?" Harry wanted to know because that really sounded like a recipe for disaster. Seamus even mentioned that his father nearly left his mother over that secret.

"Well, she freaked out a little, then we talked some, made up, made out and I think we're fine now. It helped that I didn't tell her any lies but just left out the magic whenever we talked about jobs or family."

"What about the Statue of Secrecy?"

"What about it? She could scream the truth from Tower Bridge and no one would believe her. _Oh, your girlfriend works for the Wizard Bobbies? And her hair changes its colour when you play with it? Honey, whatever you are taking, I want two_ ," Tonks mocked and when she put it like that, it didn't quite sound like the exposure of the magical world was nigh.

"Anything else?"

"Well, Mum made a friend, one Alice Lewis from the Wizengamot, and they went out for tea together. That woman has a serious baking addiction - I mean, it isn't normal to bring over cake twice a week to people you barely know - And yes, both Mum and I checked them for poison."

"Where's she anyway? I thought that your parents would be here."

"Mum was writing a letter to Aunt Cissy since we've got a postcard from her and should be around soon but Dad has been called to work this morning over some production licences for the Yamamoto Broom Manufactory. He said he'll make it for lunch and that he'll bring lunch. I hope you don't mind Chinese takeout. And now spill, what 've you been up to?"

"Not much to be honest. We had another Monopoly rematch and I got bankrupted pretty early on. And do you remember the Charms test I've written about in my last letter? I scored 126 percent on it and that was still just the second best result."

"So Hermione happened?" Tonks asked after a moment of thought. She has heard some of the stories from Harry and also had a couple vague memories about a first year Gryffindor who regularly scored far beyond one hundred percent and once even had gotten full marks and a bonus point from the ever strict Scottish transfiguration Mistress.

"Yup, I was miles better in the practical, so I don't even want to know how many additional points she got on the theory part. And the worst thing, she isn't even trying. From what I've seen she spends most of her time reading up on subjects like Magical Theory, advanced Arithmancy or Uralic Runes, stuff that's definitely not relevant to our classes."

"Well, you can't win them all. Something you ought to remember when you start dating."

"I'm not dating anyone," Harry replied, pointedly ignoring her teasing smile. "Besides, how would I know if we'd last or not?"

"And that is the whole problem. You are not supposed to find yourself a wife at 14, but there are many fun things you can do with a girl without putting a ring on her finger. Most of the time will not know if a relationship will last if you don't try."

"But how do I know which ones are interested in me and which ones are interested in the boy-who-lived?"

"Does it matter?" Dora shot back with a predatory grin and Harry knew that she was about to suggest something amoral and lewd, but it would probably also be a lot of fun. "Look at it this way, it is a mutually beneficial agreement. She can fulfil her childhood fantasies and in return, you have someone to explore broom closets with, get to fondle a nice pair of tits - "

"It is moments like these where I wonder at which point I steered her wrong," a familiar voice said from the doorway and Harry turned around to see his aunt, who, despite her words, had an amused expression on her face.

"You didn't steer me wrong, I'm just taking after the family," Dora shot back, morphing herself a pair of puppy eyes which looked far too innocent on her.

"And that's what worries me. Sometimes you are almost like a carbon copy of my sister," the older witch trailed off while looking at her daughter. "And sometimes you are a carbon copy - Although if you want to look like Bella, the nose should be a little smaller and your bust larger. Also, you are missing a few knives and daggers."

"I have one in my boot."

"Which means you are missing four, no five."

Harry watched mother and daughter banter as Dora made the suggested changes to her physique and very much doubted that telling your child to inflate her breasts and carry more blades was even remotely resembling a normal family's conversation. And yet, this was his family and he wouldn't trade it for anything.

"You have grown at least an inch since I've last seen you," Andromeda said after she was done criticising Dora's posture and turned to Harry. The older witch held him at arm's length and her nephew blushed under her scrutinising eye. "Are you taking your potions?"

"One phial every evening," the Gryffindor confirmed. He was very glad for the potions because while he was still the shortest of his year, the difference had been reduced to a couple inches. And Harry wasn't the scrawniest anymore, something that made him feel a lot more comfortable.

"Good, I think that you will be able to discontinue the nutrient one at the end of the year and the bone strengthener around Easter. But that's not the reason why I wanted to meet you," Andromeda said as she let go of her adopted nephew. She paused a moment to consider her next words before clearing her throat. "Have you ever been to Godric's Hollow?"

"No," Harry replied slowly, not sure what this question was about. "What's there?"

"It is the place where your parents went into hiding and also where they were buried. I thought that maybe you want to visit them on All Hallows' Eve. It was just an idea really, and if you don't want to then you don't have to go - " the older witch trailed off, her voice unusually shaky.

He had never thought about the subject, holding onto the hope that his parents were in fact not dead and would pick him up from the Dursleys. And learning the truth from Hagrid didn't help either because everyone always talked about them like they were a pair of mythological figures and not his parents. Lupin, despite supposedly having been their best friend, only used their names in an attempt to shame him for having the Marauders' Map. Then again, the man also knew about Sirius Animagus form and that the supposed mass murderer knew several secret passages into the school and did nothing with that information, making him the biggest hypocrite in the castle.

"Harry?" Dora asked softly, shooting her mother a dark look.

"Yeah, was just thinking. I think - I think I want to visit their graves. I never got to say goodbye, even if I can barely remember them - Well, besides what the Dementors showed me - "

"I will write your teachers a letter then. I doubt that anyone would refuse the request, but…"

"I could always sneak out," Harry offered and broke the sombre mood. The remaining day passed in a blur of conversations, as Andi made sure that he actually learned something during his classes. An hour passed before Edward relieved them with four boxes of noodles with chicken and banana rolls for pudding. After they were done eating, Ted and Dora took him to see his first football match at Anfield Road, where Liverpool defeated Aston Villa 3 - 2. It wasn't the best match, but the atmosphere was impressive nonetheless and Harry was surprised how much noise thirty thousand people could make. It was certainly something different to the Quidditch games he had seen at Holyhead.

* * *

"Check - Harry? Are you alright?" Ron wanted to know, concerned since his victory was even easier than usual. Usually, his friend could mount at least a token resistance.

"Yeah, just thinking about something my cousin said - "

"The woman with the odd hair, right? Didn't know that this dye thing made it beyond Hogwarts already."

"Nah, she's always like that. Anyway, she pointed out that I shouldn't be in Hogsmeade without a date, and well, the idea has its merits."

"Mmmm, I wouldn't say no to Lavender or Parvati," Ron said with a slightly lecherous grin and Harry didn't need Divination to figure out what his friend was hinting at. Over the last year, Lavender had grown from a slightly plump girl into a gorgeous young woman, and while Harry knew that there's no way a relationship with the blonde would work out for longer than ten minutes, she was definitely easy on the eyes.

"So, got anyone in mind?"

"Not really. I can't just ask my fan club since most of them would probably just drool over me. Literally drool, like you when dinner is served."

"Oi, I resent that. I don't drool, I am just eager for food. Anyway, what about Katie? You've been spending a lot of time together lately, so maybe - "

"I think Leanne has a thing for her, so that would be incredibly awkward."

"But, but Leanne is a girl - "

"Exceptional observation skills, Ron," the younger wizard deadpanned.

"And Katie is a girl as well - "

"So?"

"But how do they - You know - "

"And for that question, I'll refer you to Seamus' Playwitch collection," Harry replied immediately. Really, getting the talk from his cousin had been awkward enough, even if her metamorphic demonstrations had successfully skirted the line between hilarious and embarrassing. But mortifying didn't begin to describe the idea of informing Ron on the many ways women could have sex without a cock.

"Come on, you know that there's no way he had gotten a Playwitch in here."

"Voldemort spent a year here, your sister had his diary for another and let's not l talk about last year. Do you really think that they could stop Seamus from smuggling in a couple magazines if they didn't even notice that a teacher had the Dark Lord on the back of his head for nine months?"

"Fair point."

Anyway, since I can't ask Katie or Leanne, Hermione would be the next logical choice - "

"Hermione? You'd go out with Hermione? Have you seen her teeth? Or her hair? " Ron asked and Harry was once again reminded that just because he had mended his friendships with them, his two oldest friends didn't get along any better. The redhead still wasn't willing to admit that his rat had been in fact kissed by dementors and not eaten by Crookshanks. Granted, no one would be eager to accept that he has been sleeping and cuddling with a thirty-year-old man, and Hermione had made it clear that the ship for an apology had sailed long ago, but that didn't stop Harry from lamenting how much things had changed during the last year.

"Come on, she doesn't look bad," Harry pointed out. While his friend wouldn't make it in Seamus' magazines, she was far from hideous. And if nothing else, he liked the new look his friend had gotten over the summer. It made her appear older, like someone you'd either have a very good time or a very painful death with. "I mean, I have no desire to drag her into a broom closet, but that's because I remember how much she used to mother me during our first two years and not because she's ugly. I was thinking about Cho - "

"But Cho is with Cedric!"

"Really Ron? I couldn't tell from all the gossip that's been going around all week long."

"Oi, no need to curse the messenger," Ron replied to Harry's snappish complaint.

"I'm not cursing the messenger. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any girls left, which wouldn't help the rumours that I'm having a sordid affair with Malfoy."

"You - and - and - Malfoy? _Malfoy_? That's - that's - "

"Disgusting? Horrible? Nauseating? Did I mention disgusting?"

"All of those - And then some," Ron managed to get out while his face lost all its colour. Really, his expression was remarkably similar to the moment when they had been introduced to Aragog. "Who in their right mind would think that you'd be attracted to Malfoy? He's a bloody wanker!"

"Apparently a couple of older Ravenclaws were joking about it because he always comes over to taunt us, but someone overheard them and took it seriously. Lisa likes to needle me with the fact that some people actually believe that shit."

"Lisa? There's no Lisa in our classes - "

"From Muggle Studies but we also have Charms with her. I mean, we had classes with her for three years now - "

"Ah, one of the Ravens then," Ron said with greatly exaggerated recognition, causing both to chuckle. "But why are you hanging out with her?"

"Lisa is alright. And we're not just hanging out, we actually have to work together for Professor Clearwater. Not that we get that much done, it's still classwork after all, so we're just dicking around most of the time"

"Dicking around - Is that what kids call it nowadays?" the redhead threw in and wiggled his eyebrows, prompting Harry to throw one of his slain pawns at his friend. "Isn't it weird to have Percy's girlfriend as teacher?"

"Ex-girlfriend. Apparently, your brother didn't think very highly about Muggle Studies and put his foot in his mouth big time."

"Oh," Ron mumbled, desperately searching for another subject. Everything ought to be better than his least favourite brother's failed relationship. "Why did you pick Muggle Studies in the first place? Divination is fine - "

"Unless the teacher wastes half of the lesson predicting your death. Muggle Studies is probably more work, but it's mostly interesting and the teacher isn't a fraud. I mean, one or two wrong predictions can happen to everyone, but according to Trelawney I should be dead ten times over and I think that I would have noticed that."

"Well, when was the last time you checked?" Ron deadpanned.

"This Thursday after Defense - "

"What have you done to Moody anyways? The man absolutely loathes you."

"I'm quite sure that he likes me."

"But he's singling you out every lesson."

"Because he knows that I'm not too bad. Would be quite boring if he wants to demonstrate defence but his target goes down after a single stunner. Besides, it's good training, even if Moody was going easy on me."

"Going easy?"

"He survived two magical wars and was an Auror for several decades. I wouldn't last more than a few seconds if he really tried. I mean, my aunt had me out in the blink of an eye, and I think that Moody is even better. Not that I want to find out, mind you."

"Then I'm really glad that Mad-Eye is on our side. But why should it always be you?"

At this, Harry merely shrugged. Really, how could he explain to his tentative friend, who tends to blurt things out before thinking, that he has had a vision of the Dark Lord explaining his plan to return? That he was glad for having curses thrown his way because it might make the difference between life and death one day. And secrecy concerns aside, it still made him sound like a nutter.

* * *

One thing bothering Harry for the last month had been Malfoy's behaviour. Before the summer holidays, the blonde had been all too eager to run his mouth and hurl insults at every possibility. But this year, the Slytherin had been eerie quiet, which meant that he had to be up to no good. And if Draco "You're next Mudbloods" Malfoy was up to something, it certainly didn't bode well for Harry and his friends. And the confrontation he had been anticipating for the last couple of weeks eventually happened on one Monday after Care, when Malfoy and his two friends had snuck away a couple of minutes before the class was officially over to wait at the gatehouse, blocking the entrance to the castle proper.

"How did you do it, Potter, how did you usurp House Black?" the Slytherin opened up, apparently not in the mood for verbal games.

"What are you talking about Malfoy?"

"You're the Black heir now, an honour that should have been mine!"

"Why would you think that I'm the Black heir?"

"Because you were adopted by Lady Black," Malfoy spat as if calling Andi by that title was manure someone had forced down his throat. "Really, did she teach you nothing after getting her hands on the Noble House?

"So? My cousin is nearly seven years older - "

"But she's a woman. Men inherit before women, that's how it has been for centuries."

"The Black heir is whoever Lord or Lady Black wants it to be, Malfoy. After all, Harry's aunt became Lady Black, not you," Hermione cut in and for a moment, you could hear a pin drop before a collective groan went through the small crowd surrounding them.

"You turned my mother again me, Potter! And I want to know how you did that," Draco shouted and now the real topic came to its light.

"Now, I might have given Aunt Andi some dirt on your father so that he couldn't do anything about the divorce, but the will to leave was all your mother. Apparently, she has had the hope that you'd turn out to be a decent person, but you disappointed her again and again," Harry said with a lot of false bravado. While definitely a low blow, he had to endure three years of taunts about his Mudblood mother, his Mudblood friend, his status as a half-blood and threats of what would happen when the Dark Lord rose again, so the Gryffindor was not above fighting fire with fire. Because really, he had tried ignoring the git for three years without results.

"You dare Potter? When my father - "

"When your father hears that he's been a shitty husband who has only gotten married because his wife had been too scared to resist her parents' demands, he will do what, call his Death Eater buddies and rape a couple muggles? Have mercy, I'm quivering in fear right now."

This was definitely not a nice thing to say, but damn if it didn't feel good. And if this wasn't enough, Ron decided to twist the knife in the wound even further.

"Maybe he will challenge us to an honour duel and then don't show up again, just like in our first year."

By now, most bystanders were laughing. Even the other Slytherins were openly having fun at Malfoy's expanse, always happy to have something to hold against their housemates. And the fact that the blonde didn't show up to an honour duel where he had issued the challenge, was pure gold. But knowing Malfoy and judging by the glint in his eyes, there was probably a teacher nearby. Therefore Harry tried to keep a cool head since he didn't want to spend the next month scrubbing toilets with a toothbrush.

"Come on, we've got better things to do," Harry said and tugged on Hermione's robe to stop her attempts at incinerating Malfoy with her eyes while Seamus tried to steer Ron towards the Great Hall. However, before he could make three steps, a hate-filled voice cut through the chatter of their classmates.

" _VENENO TELUM!"_

Harry did not know the spell sent his way, but the Latin word for venom was recognisable enough. More out of instinct than conscious thought, he jumped to the right and straight into Hermione, bringing both of them down on the flagstones. Considering that he could taste blood and Hermione's entire right sleeve was torn, it had definitely been a rough landing, yet certainly better than the alternative. It had been a mistake to turn his back on his nemesis, which might cost him dearly now. After all, if Malfoy opened up with a lethal spell, on the ground and entangled in your friend's robes was definitely a bad place to be.

The Gryffindor went to drew his wand as a silver shimmer sailed over him, just to see a purple flash hit Malfoy and hurl him a solid twenty feet through the air and straight against a nearby wall with a sickening crunch.

"YOU THINK IT IS FUNNY TO CURSE PEOPLE IN THE BACK?" Moody roared from out of nowhere, stomping down the stairs into the courtyard as he summoned steel cables to tie Malfoy to a pillar. The former Auror completely ignored the blood dripping down the blonde's chin, or the unhealthy angle of his arm. "YOU CAN COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY THAT HOGWARTS DOES NOT FALL UNDER MINISTRY JURISDICTION, OR OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE A COUPLE YEARS OF AZKABAN FOR YOU. WELL, perhaps you would enjoy the time in there with your father's ASSOCIATES."

"Alstor, what are you doing?"

"Teaching."

"But what are you - " Professor McGonagall asked before she noticed the bloodied Slytherin and raised a hand in front of her mouth. "Gods, is that Mister Malfoy?"

"Yes, that is the Malfoy spawn - "

"What in the name of everything holy possessed you to attack a student?"

"The little shit tried to curse two of your students from behind Minerva," Moody replied gruffly, not impressed by McGonagall's attempted show of authority.

"A schoolyard fight is not a reason for treating children like the suspects back in the war. You are supposed to break up fights, not escalate them!"

"Where has this McGonagall been when everyone was shunning you in his our and second year? Or when we went to her about the Stone?" Hermione asked quietly and Harry had no answer as they watched their Head of House summon a stretcher, dispel Moody's binds and levitate Malfoy on top of it before sending it off towards the hospital wing. Everyone else was watching the scene unfold in silence, quite a few even eager to see two teachers actually arguing in front of their students.

"A schoolyard fight? And what do you suppose would be a suitable punishment for launching a poisoned javelin? A detention with the Death Eater that is the Head of Slytherin, who would rather lecture for NOT HITTING his target than for nearly taking a life? LINES? Or maybe take some POINTS?"

"This is really not the place - "

"The brat nearly KILLED one of YOUR students!"

"He is still a child - "

"Obviously, or he'd spend the night in a Ministry holding cell," Moody said, the dull thump of his peg leg echoing through the courtyard as he turned towards the Entrance Hall. "That will be DETENTIONS for the remaining year MALFOY, with FILCH and HAGRID!"

"You cannot assign detentions past the trimester break - " McGonagall objected, but the former Auror didn't even stop to look back at his colleague.

"Yes, yes - Then until the WINTER HOLIDAYS, EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!"

* * *

Two days later, Harry's long-standing theory about Katie and Leanne was shot to pieces when Justin Finch-Fletchley asked his housemate out and she agreed on a date in Hogsmeade. The gossip mill, already done with Malfoy's folly, feasted on that news until Felicity Eastchurch had a pregnancy scare. While those were not particularly rare in a castle with almost no supervision, the Ravenclaw didn't have a boyfriend or had officially dated anyone in the past two months and so the story became something akin to a bone for a pack of starved dogs. After the poor girl lost Ravenclaw 50 points, wild theories began to spread, each more unlikely than the previous one. Lee Jordan even speculated that it had been an illicit affair with Professor Snape and Harry believed that the month of detention had been too lenient for causing him to imagine Snape engaged in any kind of sexual relation not including a dementor.

All of this only made it more obvious to Harry that he had no date. Really, before everyone and their mother picked up the topic he had been happy sneaking glances at Cho once in a while. But apparently, now there was no other topic than who goes out with whom. Harry briefly asked himself if things had always been that bad and he merely hadn't noticed or if the anticipation for the visiting school was driving everyone barmy.

And really, before Dora had suggested to just explore the broom closets with one of his fangirls, Harry did not even notice how many girls had been flirting with him, ranging from a couple of rather oblivious second years up to a seventh year who, much to Hermione's amusement and Dean's mortification, looked like she wanted to sling Harry over her shoulder and carry him away to a dark cave. And since Dean did tell Seamus, and Seamus tried to impress Parvati, that story too spread like wildfire.

But the one thing that stopped Harry from going through with his cousin's plan, well besides not wanting to have his hip bones ground to dust by the aforementioned seventh year, was the reason for his fame. If those girls were after him from being the youngest seeker in a century, he wouldn't have hesitated. But since his "fans" kept asking about Voldemort before he knew more than their names, he wasn't particularly interested in getting closer to them anytime soon. Because honestly, after hearing his mother's last words, her pleading with Voldemort, offering to "take me, kill me instead" again and again, the idea of using that for a good snogging was not tempting at all.

* * *

One week before Halloween, Harry found himself sitting in the library with Lisa once more. They were supposed to read a chapter on telephones, which proved to be a very boring topic. Therefore it wasn't really surprising when twenty minutes in, they were doing anything but pay attention to the reading material. Lisa was describing a runic lamp she had been tinkering with because "Runes are fun but the subject is boring." Harry understood very little about Runes or what his study partner was doing with them, but it was certainly more interesting than landlines.

" - So I ditched that and tried to combine Isaz and Sowilo, hoping that I would get a glowing icicle but instead it ended up being an air conditioner and heater in one. That might sound awesome at first, but if you want to turn on a light and end up with three inches of snow in your bed - " Lisa continued to explain with a steady smile. The Gryffindor enjoyed watching her talk about her hobbies, even if he couldn't really relate to Runes, Astronomy or mountain biking. During those moments, she had a certain gleam in her brown eyes which Harry found both fascinating and endearing.

Looking at his study partner, watching the faint dusting of freckles on her nose, the light blush on her round cheeks the way she casually brushed a strand of hair out of her face and the intensity in which she talked about her self-made lamp, Harry had an epiphany. He had been making the whole dating business far too complicated. Dating just to shut up the gossips or talking himself into having a crush on one of his friends wasn't the way to go. Even Dora had told him that Hogwarts blew things out of proportion and yet he had been doing just that. Getting a date was no magical fix to all of his problems and expecting to find someone to do just that would lead nowhere. His cousin had told him to simply find someone whose company he enjoyed and see where things went from there on. And sitting right next to him was someone whose company he enjoyed -

"Lisa?"

"Hmm?"

Despite having decided to cut the dramatics just seconds ago, Harry found himself making comparisons to fighting the Basilisk or Quirrel. In some ways, he was doing the same thing again, charging in with little thought and a half-cooked plan bound to fail. While it certainly made putting his brave pants on a lot easier, fighting a magical mass murderer shouldn't be on your mind when you were about to ask a girl out.

"You wanna go to Hogsmeade with me?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Harry felt incredibly foolish. While he had managed to keep his voice steady, just blurting that question out was not particularly smooth. And really, was this the best he could do?

"Sure. The next visit is on Bonfire night, right?" Lisa replied nonchalantly, her eyes not leaving a blob of ink for a few moments before her head snapped up. Despite her quickly reddening cheeks, she was shooting him a dazzling smile, which made him feel all kinds of warm and fuzzy. The cynical part of his brain remarked that this whole affair had been rather anticlimactic. He wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting, three legendary quests to remote corners of the earth, or pulling Excalibur out of Myrtle's toilet perhaps, but a simple "yes" hadn't been on that list. Then the Gryffindor processed that he actually had gotten himself a date and found an odd sense of relief wash over him. Harry was quite aware that his face probably went through an amusing sequence of expressions as a result and Lisa's badly concealed giggle was proof of that.

"Yes," the Gryffindor managed to get out, only slowly getting his thoughts back to the present.

"Great, it's a date then."

He couldn't help himself and groaned at her bad pun, something that only made her laugh more, smug that Harry had noticed the horrendous wordplay. Despite dramatically letting his head drop on the table, he was guffawing, something only made worse by Lisa's infectious laughter. Whenever one of them came close to calming down, they would share a glance which set the pair off again.

Eventually, Madam Prince swooped in, threw them out of the library and banned them for the remaining week. Apparently "behaving like a pair of loons" wasn't allowed in her domain, not that Harry cared. He had a date and, if the last couple of minutes were any indication, he was in for a fun time if nothing else.

* * *

 **AN:**

First of all, shout-out to "Wrexscar", whose stories "Call Me" and "One way or Another" are a great inspiration for me. _Call Me_ is the reason I chose Lisa over any of the other background characters as the love interest for this fic, even if I am going for a different characterisation. Those two stories have some of the most realistic depiction of teenagers and youth-life in Britain in the 90s that I've ever read. Both are heavy on the characters and light on the plot, which is a refreshing change. I feel kinda bad that this story already has more favourites and nearly four times the followers compared to their works.

Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room. This will not be a grand romance trying to out-tragic Romeo and Juliet. I'm trying to write a believable teenage romance while avoiding the whole "will they? won't they?" spiel because it's obvious how those end either way (at least in fiction, especially if the pairing is already tagged). Yet, a single date doesn't make a relationship, so don't expect exclamations of undying love anytime soon. I know people who were shagging each others' brains out at age 14 without any emotional attachment and I know adults who spent two years in a relationship before taking that step. Finding and writing a good balance between those extremes is my goal here.

Wizards don't celebrate Bonfire Night, but Lisa is Muggle-raised so she'd know that date. And it's really just a coincidence that the first Saturday of November 1994 is the fifth of November. Same goes for the Premier League match mentioned.

Lastly, writing teenage boys is weird. I mean, this was a toned down version since most readers won't appreciate 5000 rather crude words on tits. It might come across as minor Ron bashing, but by teenager standards, he's the paragon of chivalry here.


	13. All Hallows' Eve

On Sunday afternoon, the other competitors of the Triwizard Tournament arrived, trying to outdo the other for a grand entrance. Between the flying carriage and the submerging carrack, Harry was surprised that no one had brought fireworks and only half-heartedly listened to Hermione prattle about the two schools. She might have lost her drive towards academic excellence, but his friend was still fond of all kinds of trivial facts from her "light reading".

" - And I'm really curious if the Beauxbaton students are similar to us because it was actually founded as a branch of Hogwarts back in the 12th century when Henry II ruled both England and large parts of France. It only became a French school when the castle was besieged, razed in 1453 and rebuild as a palace over the next three centuries …"

The answer to her question turned out to be a resolute no once the carriage doors swung open. While the gigantic Headmistress looked like she could pass as a distant relative of Hagrid, her students were anything but. With azure uniforms made out of the finest silk and the dazzling smile of a salesman, the Beauxbaton contingent looked like they had escaped from a fashion show and completely overshadowed the Transylvanian school and it wasn't until everyone was seated in the Great Hall before someone noticed that one of the Durmstrang students was no other than Viktor Krum.

The resulting commotion ensured that no one noticed one of the visitors as she snuck up to the Gryffindor table and Harry nearly jumped off the bench when he was suddenly pulled into a loose hug.

"With pointy hat, you look like real Harry Potter," the newcomer said and while Harry had not recognised the blue eyes or her dark hair, that bloody hat joke could be traced back to exactly one person.

"Hi Gaby," the Gryffindor replied while his friends were still laughing at his undignified reaction to being hugged. "Uhm, Gabija Rimsaité, meet Katie Bell and Hermione Granger and the other way around. Gaby plays seeker for the Lithuanian Quidditch Squad, though that I'm just a book character and apparently is also a student at Durmstrang."

"He didn't have pointy hat. Harry Potter wears hat in every book."

"Yes Harry, why don't you wear your pointy hat more often?" Katie egged him on and at that moment he realised that the pointy hat joke was spreading and not stopping. But really, why had Dumbledore insisted on full dress robes when the Hogwarts ones fell short anyway. Compared to the flashy uniforms of Durmstrang or the sinful silken temptation of the Beauxbaton ones, dark grey robes with silver clasps and plain, black hats weren't cutting it.

"So, how have you been?"

"Good, Viktor got further than we did."

"So you are friends?"

"We were before he got famous. Now he - How do you say - Head in his ass?"

"Close enough."

"Viktor only cares about agents and contracts. It is good that he also gets all attention and no one cares about Brusilov, Chitu or me."

"Just how many professional Quidditch players are there in Durmstrang?" Katie cut in, looking like she had already made plans to make new friends.

"In Durmstrang, maybe thirty, here? Four. Krum, Brusilov from Russia, Chitu from Romania and I."

"Maybe I will have a quiet year then," Harry said hopefully, even if he didn't truly believe his own words.

"No, many reporters will come, demand interviews and exhibition matches. School keeps them out usually, but tournament will lead them here."

"Just great."

* * *

"What was that all about?" Katie wanted to know as she watched the Lithuanian walk back to the Slytherin table.

"I have no idea. I met Gaby once at Holyhead where she was pranked by her coach. And for the record, I totally thought that she'd be in Beauxbaton."

"Should your girlfriend be worried?"

"Girlfriend?"

"Please, it's obvious that there's something between you and Lisa," Hermione said with an odd, guarded expression.

"She's not my girlfriend, we just agreed on a date - " Harry blurted out before he noticed her shit-eating grin.

"I can't believe that worked!"

"See, I told you, now pay up," the younger witch told Katie, who grumbled as she tossed a golden coin towards the fourth-year.

"Uhm, can someone please explain what just happened?" Harry wanted to know when he realised that he had been played.

"We noticed that you have been off the last couple of days - "

"Oh please, it was obvious. You are a not nearly as subtle as you want to be and Lisa is just the same - "

" - And then she bluffed you into telling us," Katie finished the explanation and slung her arm across his shoulders. "So, a date?"

"Yeah - I didn't say anything in case things didn't work out."

"I didn't know you had a thing for your study partner," the fifth-year pressed further, her face also strangely clear of any emotion.

"Uhm - I didn't use to or planned to ask her - It just felt like the right thing to do - "

"Who would have thought, Harry Potter, a hopeless romantic," Hermione mock-swooned. "Beware, witches, the boy-who-lived is on the hunt. It is your virtue he is after, and he giveth no quarter."

"Well, Lisa is cute and is fun to be around," he replied, not sure whether he was making things better or just digging deeper. However, Harry had already said more than he had wanted to and he'd rather go another round against the Basilisk down in the Chamber of Secrets than admit that he had developed a rather strong crush on the Ravenclaw after asking her out. It had made things a little awkward during their partner work for Professor Clearwater because the Gryffindor paid more attention to Lisa than to the reading material, but she had seemed equally distracted. Then again, compared to the way Lisa nibbled on her lower lip or the slight blush she always had, a text about the assembly line wasn't even remotely interesting.

"Harry, that kind of compliments won't get you laid," Hermione deadpanned and he nearly choked on a baked potato as her dry delivery brought a sudden end to his thoughts while Katie barely stopped pumpkin juice from spraying out of her nose.

"Goddamn, don't crack jokes while I'm drinking something, wait until he is!"

"Sorry, but the opportunity was just too good," the younger witch replied smugly and Katie begrudgingly agreed that their friend's shocked expression had indeed been worth it.

* * *

Harry stepped through the Floo connection and tried to keep his dinner down. His previous experience with this form of magical travel had not been great, but in retrospect, using it after a rich meal seemed like a particularly stupid idea. Everything was spinning and it took him a few seconds to realise that he was sprawled across a Persian and another few to notice someone chuckling.

"You're comfortable down there kiddo?" Dora asked while he would have preferred to simply fall asleep on the carpet.

"Peachy!"

"Well, I'll leave you to it then."

"Thanks a lot. Anything happened while I was away?"

"I'm now the proud owner of nine cats, so I just need a few naked volunteers to do rituals around a cauldron and I've got all witch clichés covered. Are you up for it?"

"It depends - Can we do these rituals on a beach during the summer? Because that wouldn't be too bad. Would take care of tan lines as well."

"It wouldn't be the same, but - " Tonks trailed off before she began to laugh hysterically. "Oh my god, can you imagine a coven of witches, but instead of summoning demons at midnight or stuff like that they slurp cocktails with little pink umbrellas and play beach volleyball - "

"Now that sounds like my kind of coven," a new voice said and Harry turned towards his aunt, who was shooting him a worried look and yet also smiled at her daughter's antics as she pulled Harry to his feet and into a hug. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just ate too much before making this trip."

"Did Professor McGonagall talk to you?"

"No, and I doubt that she will check her colossal mountain of mail anytime soon, so I told Hermione and Katie where I'm off to. I swear, both of them think that they are psychologists. The hugs were nice, but how or why am I supposed to talk about something when I'm not even sure how I feel about it?"

"That sounds like they want to help but have no idea how," Andromeda remarked and, after another look down at her nephew, decided to lighten the mood a little. "So, I heard that Nymphadora was about to brag about her latest fu - folly."

"Mum, let me tell the story!"

"Then tell your story, but don't go onto tangents which make me want a cocktail on a Sunday afternoon."

"Wait, so if I keep talking about cocktails, will you make us some? Because you make the best Sex on the Beach I know - Wait, that sounds wrong."

"That would just continue a long-standing family tradition, Nymphadora Tonks-Black, heiress to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Dukes and Duchesses of Blackmoor and Blackwood - "

"Mum!"

"Your story!"

"Oh right," Dora said, clearly eager to get the conversation back on track and away from any mention of the magical peerage. "The Wednesday after we visited you in Hogsmeade, I was on a run through Blean Woods when I came across a fat cat just laying there in the middle of my trail. It wasn't moving so I first thought it was dead, but there was shallow breathing so I took the cat to a veterinarian in Faversham."

"What Nymphadora did not realise was that Stubs, as she called the poor animal, was neither fat nor ill, but in fact highly pregnant."

"Yeah, the vet told me that much. And since Stubs had no chip or collar, I took her back home - "

"As you noticed over the summer, we have plenty of cats coming here from the other farms, so I did not mind another one, especially one that immediately holed itself up in the attic. My daughter conveniently forget to mention the pregnancy and two days later one cat became nine," Andi finished with the slight melancholy she always had when thinking back to something from her childhood.

"I even used the family tradition to name them," the metamorph added with a little too much enthusiasm and that comment drew a snort from her mother.

"Yes, the tradition to name children."

"What's wrong with Apollo or Maia?"

"The fact that you just need to go back two generations to find a relative with that name."

"See, I am honouring them!"

"You are insulting your kittens with that association."

"It's not my or their fault that someone with a badass name was an arsehole."

Harry watched the back and forth with a fond smile and it didn't take long before both witches tried to make him pick a side in their not-so-serious debate. Admittedly, the banter was a little disturbing, the frequent mentions of shagging some relative were inappropriate topics for a family discussion, but once again Harry realised that he had come to think of this as his family. He no longer felt disdain and fear whenever someone mentioned an uncle because Edward was a calm, gentle man and not quick to anger like Vernon used to be. He didn't feel the urge to dodge a frying pan or wooden ladle when an aunt came up anymore. And his cousin now would track down anyone who did something to hurt him instead of playing another round of "Harry hunting". The nowadays infamous "White Dursleys" could attest that, even if they had no idea where their stash of cocaine had come from.

It didn't take mother and daughter to conclude that Harry, who didn't want to pick a side, would be the one to decide their argument. That's how the tree of them ended up in the attic, watching a hilly landscape made out of half a dozen blankets and littered with eight kittens and a fat, sleeping cat.

"That one is Hector, and over there Lysander next to Cassiopeia and Lyra!"

Harry was quite sure that Dora was just randomly picking names for the kittens because he couldn't keep them apart if his life depended on it. All were small, fluffy and grey, their white bellies hidden by the soft underground. One of the little furballs tried to stand on shaky feet but immediately stumbled and fell face forward into the blanket.

"Well, that one takes after its mother."

* * *

Harry let his eyes roam over the seemingly endless rows of headstones, trying to take everything in and keep his thoughts away from what awaited him. This was the first time he has ever been in a graveyard and the Gryffindor wanted to leave before he had even reached his parents' grave. Some of the names on the headstones were familiar, like Dumbledore, McDonald or Smith, but most were faint memories from Binns' ramblings at best.

Perhaps befitting his mood, it was a foggy, grey day and a frosty wind lashed against every bit of exposed skin without remorse. The general unpleasantness did nothing to improve Harry's opinion of this place and the more he thought about it, the less he wanted to go through with it. It was a stupid idea really, it would be easier for everyone if they just -

"Over there Harry," Andi softly said, put an arm over his shoulder and steered him towards a block of white marble. Truth be told, Harry barely glanced at the grave, lost in the finality of the moment. He had always clung to the faint hope that, in contrary to what everyone told him, his parents were still alive somewhere, coming to his rescue eventually. Even when he learned the truth on his eleventh birthday, a stubborn part of him kept that foolish, almost desperate desire alive. Harry had not known his parents, and while he had lapped any information about them up like a starving man, the Gryffindor was never entirely convinced that he was hearing the truth. Sirius had been the first who had talked about his parents' faults, even if the Azkaban escapee didn't consider those to be flaws. Nonetheless, it had been good to hear that Lily and James Potter had been more than just paragons of virtue, that his mother had not just been some angel but has had ruthless streak a mile wide when someone crossed her, that his father been more than a talented Quidditch player with a fixation on pranks.

Looking at the tombstone, Harry knew that some people liked to talk in situations like these, but it didn't feel right for him to do that. He didn't even remember their voices outside of some panicked shouting and a desperate plea. He didn't want the memory of his parents to be a random stone in the middle of nowhere. They - He deserved better.

With that in mind, Harry thoughts went back to the pictures Andi had shown him yesterday. It hadn't been the first time he had seen them or heard those stories, but it had been a pleasant reminder that his parents had been more than just a pair of celebrated war heroes. They had been his family, they had given their lives, not due to some abstract sense of patriotism for a nepotic government or because they had been fighting for "The Light Side", but simply because they had loved him.

Harry felt something hot on his cheek and heard a quiet sniffle coming from Andromeda. She had tears in her eyes as well as she stared into the distance, lost in thoughts. "Having you around brought back a couple memories - "

"I'm - sorry."

"Don't be. It may hurt now, but I would rather feel the loss than simply forget them," his aunt said sagely and put an arm around him. "They were good people. Good people during terrible times."

* * *

The return to Hogwarts was odd. McGonagall had an odd expression which seemed both accusing and guilty, and yet she said nothing. His friends were acting odd, unable to decide whether they should walk on eggshells around him or attempt to treat Halloween like any other day. And the other students were acting odd as well, buzzing with excitement over the bloody tournament Harry had a very bad feeling about. Being dangerous and lethal, it sounded just like the kind of mess he usually stumbled into. And honestly, compared to Viktor Krum and the Beauxbaton girl Hermione had dubbed "The French tart", Hogwarts chances didn't look good, so why was everyone excited about getting their collective arses smacked?

Dinner was a tense affair for Harry, even if most students were buzzing with anticipation. There were a couple of theories about his absence buzzing around, ranging from spot-on to fantastic as Cormac McLaggen tried to convince a friend that their fellow Gryffindor had ditched classes to visit a pair of Veela courtesans in Paris. While that sounded like the kind of trip he could talk Dora into, the truth was rather boring in comparison and after five minutes of silence, people stopped pestering him about it.

The meal dragged on for like what felt like ages and Harry's sense of impending doom was growing stronger and stronger. Dumbledore stepped forward to say a few words about cooperation and competition, but the Gryffindor barely registered them, his eyes locked ay the magical artefact and its taunting, blue flame, which eventually turned orange. Krum and Fleur Delacour were no surprise, but Cedric Diggory as Hogwarts champion turned a few heads and led to a surprising show of unity when both Slytherins and Gryffindors complained that a "duffer" was representing them. The newly minted champion was well liked in his year, but just another student outside of that.

The old headmaster stepped forwards once more, rested his hands on the golden stand and began speaking once more. "The Triwizard Tournament might be a competition, but its goal is to build bridges. The friends we make today might become a central part of your life. You might meet your future spouse or the godparent of your children - "

Dumbledore was cut off by a commotion as the Goblet flared up for the fourth time. Harry knows that he was buggered. The orange flame looked almost taunting before it spat out a small snippet of parchment and the Gryffindor didn't need his headmaster's pronouncement to know whose name was written on it.

* * *

The reactions of the other champions were pretty much what Harry had expected. Diggory and Delacour were outraged and merely not sure whether Harry being a competitor or the officials not preventing that was the bigger insult. He let the vitriol wash over him because there was no point in arguing. Hell, he actually agreed with the pair. He should not be in this Tournament, he did not want to be here and he had no particular desire to find out whether Dora's rumour about dragons was true or not. Nor was he too keen on embarrassing himself in front of the other students, thank you very much.

Krum, on the other hand, glanced at the Gryffindor once before he went back to staring straight in front of him. The Bulgarian had clearly decided that Harry was no threat and his entry of no further significance. And after catching every single snitch during the World Cup, the Gryffindor could see where Krum was coming from. He had already proven himself in an international championship and now his competitors were not looking particularly challenging.

The door to the Great Hall flew open and a bunch of officials stomped in, trailed by Dumbledore. Unlike the others, the headmaster was the picture of calm and yet his eyes were darting across the room, trying to get a complete read on everyone and everything.

"What is the meaning of this, _boy_?" the Death Eater turned headmaster demanded to know as he marched straight towards Harry, his face red with fury and his hands shaking.

"Now Igor, I am sure that there is an explanation which does not require you to intimidate one of my students," Dumbledore replied calmly and yet with making it obvious that any disobedience would have grave consequences.

"If your student gets intimidated by that man, he has no place in this competition," the towering Beauxbaton teacher pointed out

"Clearly, Dumbledore failed to take the necessary measures to prevent such a disgrace," the Durmstrang headmaster drawled, only encouraged by Maxime's comment.

"Karkaroff, you and Madam Maxime were there when Albus cast that age line. You did not complain or made any suggestions on additional security. This tournament isn't Albus show, you are all responsible for it," Moody shot back in an even colder tone, making it perfectly clear that he'd love to let wands do the talking. "I told you all that an age line is useless, that anyone could simply lob their name across it and straight into the Goblet, but that was just a paranoid, old man's ramblings. Now you have an underage student in your adult competition and you better hope that Potter entered on his own because the alternatives are even worse."

"Nonsense, the boy clearly cheated - " Maxime replied, not dignifying the former Auror with a response.

"So you admit that you were outsmarted by a fourteen-year-old boy?"

"It is irrelevant how Potter entered, he has to compete!" Crouch shouted over his bickering colleagues. "His name came out of the Goblet, he has to compete."

"Outrageous. Now Hogwarts has two champions. I will not stand for this!" the only woman in the round said, her anger rising as she pulled herself up to her full ten feet.

"Two contestants from one school would not be unprecedented…"

"Yes, because one of them died!"

" - However, in this case, I would suggest that Mister Potter competes for another institution, which can be determined at another time."

"And which institution do you have in mind Crouch? Your own department?" Karkaroff sneered.

"The Ministry would indeed be a valid option - "

Harry barely managed to stop himself from laughing at that statement because he would rather compete for Slytherin than for the people who had thrown his godfather into Azkaban and left him to rot there. The people who took bribes from Lucius Malfoy and other "upstanding members of society". And from what Dora and Andi had told him, the place hadn't improved much.

"You would want your Ministry represented by a boy? Well, it will be your disgrace."

"About that - " Ludo Bagman cut in for the first time. The blonde man looked over to his colleague before turning back towards Harry. "Since this competition was limited to students of age, you put us in a tricky situation."

"Ludo, now is not the time to nitpick over the amendments we made to the Tournament Charter," Dumbledore replied, but was ignored as Crouch stepped forward.

"The boy will compete or he will suffer the consequences of breaking the binding magical contract he signed. And because you insisted on those amendments Dumbledore, there is only one course of action we can take."

"And yet no one of you has even asked Potter a single question," Moody cut in and Harry was glad that at least someone seemed to be firmly on his side. He found this entire mess more than a little infuriating and hearing all the officials talk about him like he wasn't there did not make things better. They hadn't let him get a word in edgewise but now he had a veteran Auror in his corner, a wizard who had already drawn his wand. "The boy has many enemies who would love to see him get roasted, torn to shreds or ripped apart."

"Enemies? HIM?" Madame Maxim sneered. "He doesn't have a single hair on his… face, why would he have enemies?"

"Because he blew up the Dark Lord! Merlin woman, do you live under a rock like your ancestors?"

"YOU DARE? YOU - "

At this point, Crouch had enough and cast a spell which stopped all noise from the other side of the room and England's beater legend placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, gripping it tightly so that he couldn't shrug it off. "You are in this tournament now. This makes you your own man! Your chance for eternal glory! That has to be a dream come true."

"What Ludo is trying to sugarcoat here is that your adoptive mother, the Lady Black, is no longer your guardian, Harry."

"There is no other way Dumbledore. You made these rules, now you have to follow them," Crouch cut in sharply, ignoring the dismayed look on the headmaster's face.

* * *

 **AN:**

I tried to rehash as little canon as possible and hope that the story is still cohesive. You all know what the canon characters look like. The "Crouch has a Hitler moustache" joke also isn't that funny once you've read it a couple dozen times. There's no need for the 251457 repeat of the choosing scene in great detail, or they get more boring than the Mass Effect 2 Prologue. Also, yes Harry got steamrolled here and didn't manage to say a lot, that was intended. The other option was him throwing a tantrum and that wouldn't really fit in here.

It is never mentioned where exactly Durmstrang is supposed to be so I just went with Transylvania because it's kinda in the middle of South-East Europe. Also, in case you didn't notice in the earlier chapters, I am not using much of Rowling's world building because it doesn't work outside of Britain and France.


	14. Aftermath

Albus Dumbledore rested his eyes on the young man in front of him and, not for the first time, tried to make sense of both the changes he underwent and the recent events. One fact was certain, Harry was no longer the awestruck child looking up to a potential mentor. He was growing up and now circumstances would force him to shed the last bit of innocence. There were three questions on the headmaster's mind. Who had entered Harry into the tournament? Why? And lastly, what kind of impact was the angry woman next to Harry having on both, the boy and his plans?

Yes, Andromeda Tonks was a mystery to him. He had watched her closely as a student, pleasantly surprised that she was able to free herself of the prejudice she had been raised with, but she had slipped his mind soon after. The disgraced Black sister had not picked a side, had not fought Tom or his followers. She had been to Hogwarts a few times during her daughter's school time, but he has had more pressing matters to care about.

And then she had come out of nowhere and claimed guardianship over Harry, like in his worst fears. And yet the second half of his nightmares never came to be. The child of prophecy had not been twisted into a hateful puppet, had not turned towards the ideals of his two great enemies. If anything, most of his friends lacked a strong connection to magic. This might become an issue a few years down the road, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

"I assure you Mrs Tonks, I do not know how your charge had been entered. Alastor is investigating the incident and - "

"Cut the crap, Dumbledore. Did you really think that an age line would stop anyone? You can use a simple levitation charm, one of the first spells taught to children, to overcome your fabled protection."

"It is not as simple as that Lady Black," he replied carefully, switching to a more formal tone to hopefully get some distance between them. He had not been the one who pushed for the current iteration of the Tournament, preferring an academic competition over a bloodsport. After all, being responsible for the deaths of the brightest minds of a generation wasn't something he wanted to be connected with. "Throwing a name in the cup doesn't guarantee that it would come out as a champion. And Harry was not chosen as Hogwarts champion, but as a contestant for a fourth institution. This means that the person who entered him manipulated an arcane magical artefact which had spent the last two centuries in the Department of Mysteries."

"What are you implying?"

"The Goblet of Fire is an incredibly complex device whose details are lost in history. Whoever tampered with it had an incredible knowledge with both Runes and Arithmancy, surpassing everything this school teaches by decades of experience. There are maybe two scores of wizards and witches in Europe who could have done such a feat. And it would take time, far too long to do it here unnoticed. Therefore, the perpetrator needed access to a highly regulated area in the Ministry - "

"I don't care about the technicalities or that Merlin used it as a chamber pot Dumbledore, I want Harry out of that damned Tournament. Why are you insisting that he has to participate in that thrice-damned bloodsport?"

Admittedly, at that moment the Black matriarch had an eerie resemblance to her incarcerated sister, and many men would have fled at the sight. The black and white dress robe was cut like duelling wear, but it took more than shouting and a fetching set of clothes to get a rise out of him, otherwise, he would have razed the Wizengamot a long time ago.

"Because it is safer for him to participate."

"What? Are _you_ completely out of _your_ mind? Have you been eating spoiled potion supplies or did you perchance…"

As the witch ranted on, Dumbledore reflected that had expected some protectiveness over her charge, but Andromeda went far beyond that, even if her grip of Harry's hand had to hurt. At the same time, the sight was a tremendous relief since whatever way the woman had used to get hold of Lily's and James' son, she had clearly done so out of care for him. Thankfully that invalidated some of his darker theories. Harry had shown no signs of bad treatment, but those things weren't always obvious.

"The Goblet of Fire is used to bind the champions to the tournament. The submission of a name is considered consent to a magical bond. At the same time, it is almost impossible to force someone in such a bond. Therefore Harry should not be bound by any contract, he should never have been chosen. But since his name came out, anything is possible…"

"So you are saying that Harry should not be bound to compete, but at the same time there is a possibility that someone forced him into a contract?"

"Exactly."

"And you want him to participate because you cannot guarantee that there is no magical bond which would enforce a penalty when broken?"

"There is no way to tell. There are no records which say what the penalty entails and the three documented cases all had different results, ranging from the loss of a limb up to death after the forceful removal of the contestant's magic."

"What about the emancipation?" Andromeda snapped, trying another avenue as the first one didn't lead to the results she obviously had expected.

"That was completely unexpected," Dumbledore admitted, feeling like it would be wise to distance him from that mess. The angry witch in front of him had enough dirt on Cornelius and had thrown his friend out of the Wizengamot, so she wasn't completely inept at being an annoyance. And he did not feel like wasting time on whatever wrench she could throw into his plans. It was bad enough that Harry had to compete in the tasks, and the organisation of the necessary changes would already rob his free time in the foreseeable future.

"Oh really? And here I thought emancipation notices were regular mail after dinner," Andromeda said with dripping sarcasm.

"To be honest, I am not sure why Bartemius would set such a thing in motion, but judging by his demeanour, the two likeliest reasons were either helping Harry or attacking you."

"Helping me, Sir?"

"I believe that you are familiar with the articles the Prophet printed about your family and the manner in which you became a part of it."

"The Prophet lied," the Gryffindor hissed and Dumbledore was surprised by how much anger and bitterness he spat those words. Apparently, Andromeda was not the only one who had developed an attachment. Perhaps that explained why part of Lily's protection still surrounded him, even if the fixed wards around Privet Drive had failed. It was a shame that the ritual used by the late redhead was lost in history because it would have been a fascinating study subject. It was not just a sacrificial protection but so much more.

"Then the only explanation I can think of is a grudge carried by Crouch. Bagman was there, but it is a miracle that Ludo can sign a form on his own. He hasn't been the same ever since he got mixed up with Voldemort's spy - "

"You mentioned that Crouch might have been attacking me. Why would he do such a thing?"

"The special accommodations you got for Bellatrix would be an obvious reason. Or maybe he simply resents you because of your sister, who accompanied his son during their attack on the Longbottoms."

"People know?" Andromeda wanted to know and Albus had to suppress a chuckle. The tall women might have been able to blackmail Fudge, but she wasn't nearly as smart as she believed herself to be. Whenever the government spent gold, there was paperwork to document that. And the guards in Azkaban liked to talk.

"Of course people notice when a dangerous prisoner is transferred, even if your cover story about her syphoning energy from the dementors is believed."

"You know? And you did nothing about it?"

"Your sister is still serving her sentence, as far as I am concerned, nothing is amiss."

Really, didn't people listen to what he had been saying for half a century? That place was an insult to the living, guarded by hellish demons which had no business in this plane of existence. There was no need to torture the condemned with their presence.

"I see," Andromeda mumbled and slumped forwards, resignation and despair not hidden from her voice. "Harry? What do you think?"

"I don't want to participate. Hermione looked into some of the previous tasks and they sound horrible. Dragons, Basilisks, Chimaeras, or even Dementors. But, I think that doing the tasks is safer than just hoping that there is no contact. I, I know my luck. The Goblet probably created a marriage contract for me as well - "

"Don't joke about that," Andromeda hissed and Dumbledore found himself nodding along. With the violent death of many practitioners, that barbaric practice had fortunately fallen out of place in recent years. Yet there were still many dark places in foreign lands, where witches were sold like cattle. Maybe if he pushed for ICW sanctions against the Indian states…

"Sorry Auntie."

"So you think that Crouch emancipated my nephew because he had an issue with me?" the witch wanted to know, turning her attention back to the headmaster.

"He could be trying to take advantage of Harry as well," he admitted slowly, his mind trying to cover every possible angle. "Since he is an adult and the last of the Potters, Harry is able to sign documents which impact his future - "

"Is there something to stop that?" Andromeda hissed, her face suddenly a lot paler.

Dumbledore found himself in a curious situation. There were several ways to prevent that, but most would have their own downsides. He didn't trust the woman in front of him after she had removed Harry from the Dursleys, but she clearly cared for Harry and this was the important thing. He did not like what he was about to propose, but it was better than the alternatives.

"Harry could use his newfound freedom to declare a regent of House Potter while he is otherwise occupied. It would require a lot of trust - "

"I'll do it."

"Harry, are you sure that - "

"Dumbledore, I've had absolute power over House Potter for the last four months and yet all that I have done is gotten Harry a new wardrobe and fixed the injuries your healer failed to notice."

The headmaster had to concede that point and could only fake a weak smile in response.

* * *

When Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower past midnight, he was greeted by an explosion of noise even before the Fat Lady swung shut. About half of the house was present, quite a few already passed out and most of the others thoroughly pissed. By the looks of it, the Weasley twins were making a killing as suppliers of the impromptu celebration, at least if their pouch filled with gold was any clue.

Nearly everyone felt the need to congratulate Harry, slap him on the back, give a toast, or, at the very least, raise their glasses and slur some congratulations before throwing back another shot. It took him nearly ten minutes to cross the room and fall into the armchair next to Hermione, who did her best to crush his ribcage.

"I will stand with you. No matter what the others say!" she mumbled from somewhere behind his ear, clutching to his side as if she was drowning.

"What about the others?"

"Most of the younger students simply went to bed. But - Angelina is mad that you got in and she didn't. Alicia tried to calm her down but it was just a drop on the dry stone. There were quite a few people who think the same."

"Katie?"

"She - The twins have been generous with their supply of alcohol - "

"And you let them?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows.

"I made sure that they didn't sell it to anyone from our year or below. Katie had a little too much after defending you in a shouting match with Angelina. She simply went to bed early. And there's no point in ratting out the few people who still like you - "

"Few people?"

"It is like back in our second year. The Hufflepuffs will hate you for making Cedric look bad, Slytherin will take any excuse to make your life miserable and a lot of our housemates are jealous or think that you acted dishonourably."

"But I didn't do anything."

"You didn't protest, which they took as a confession."

"Yes, because throwing a tantrum would have been so much better. _Wait till my father hears of this._ "

" _I_ believe you, Harry. _I_ do not think that imitating Malfoy would have done anything but make you look stupid. But our fellow students tend to jump on any opportunity to hate someone. You remember Eloise Midgen, right?"

"Hufflepuff, a year above us?"

"Yes. People still treat her like a leper, even after her acne went away over the summer. And she just had acne, something she had very little control over."

"So you say I'm fucked?"

Hermione had a funny expression after that, torn between reprimanding Harry for his chosen language and agreeing with the statement. Instead of answering the question she pulled her best friend into a one-armed hug again, trying to convey her support without words.

"So, what took you so long?"

Harry quickly recounted the discussion from the office as well as the haggling between his aunt and Dumbledore over the conditions of his participation and the help which he would receive.

"But you are still emancipated?"

"Yes, but I - "

"What do I hear, you are an adult now?" the left of the Weasley twins cut in, his sibling just one step behind as they crossed the room. They were holding a bottle of amber liquid and two small glasses respectively, which they put down in front of the fourth years and filled them with the Firewhiskey.

" - Which means that you can now drink this - "

" - Which means we won't be breaking any rules - "

" - And since you shouldn't drink on your own, here is something for Miss Granger as well."

"But I - "

"Don't worry, it's on the house," the second twin replied, expertly avoiding all topics Hermione wanted to complain about in favour of placating her on the one issue she had not even thought about. "And Harry, unlike our brother, we don't mind that you're in. Just give us a good show!"

"Kick the other champions in the arse!"

"Now excuse us, there's still some gold to be made."

"And silver!"

"We also take Knuts, but you'd need a bloody lot of them."

Once the two redheads walked off to find Lee Jordan, both fourth years picked up the tumblers, both eyeing the liquid suspiciously but neither made a move to drink.

"What was that about Ron?"

"He didn't take it very well that you were chosen," Hermione replied and Harry flinched at the diplomatic tone she had picked. Things must have been really bad in his absence.

"But I didn't ask for it."

"That does not make things better. You just got what half of this school desperately wanted and you don't even want it."

"Why would anyone want to be in that bloody thing? You get a mention in a few books no one is going to read and a little money - "

"Harry, to most of them, a thousand Galleons is a lot of money."

"That's not even a year's pay at any decent job. And you can't spend it when you are dead," the fourth champion snarled before taking a deep breath. "So, Ron is jealous. What about the others?"

"Ron didn't say anything, he just looked really upset. Neville, on the other hand, was pretty vocal about you being a dirty cheater."

"Are you sure that I can't challenge him to an honour duel?"

"What's next on the agenda, steal pudding from the first years? Even Demelza Robins could wipe the floor with Neville, so all beating him up would do is make you look like a…"

"A dick? An inbred moron? Malfoy?"

"Yes - All of those."

"Well, that's a shame. Did Mel say anything?"

"Don't worry, Monopoly Saturday will continue as usual, the prefects simply sent the first and second years to bed at ten."

"The prefects?" Harry asked and jerked his head towards the fireplace, where the two sixth years had passed out. Katie had gone upstairs and her fellow fifth-year prefect wasn't able to walk in a straight line anymore.

"They made sure that the younger students were sleeping before their drinking games. Probably just to have some peace and quiet for the highly challenging game of 21."

"What's so challenging about it?"

"Not throwing up, apparently. Thank god for vanishing charms."

"You changed, you know?" Harry pointed out after a moment of silence. He was still playing with the Firewhiskey as he tried to match the Hermione from a year ago with her current counterpart.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black."

"What do you mean?"

"You are a lot happier and more cheerful, you brood less, you are more open to other people and don't isolate yourself anymore," his friend replied before tapping her chin in thought. "You also don't get that look of longing whenever someone mentions their family."

"I did that?"

"Not consciously, but even Ron caught onto that," she admitted softly. "You changed a lot. But me? I still love to learn new things, about this wondrous world and its many quirks and oddities, my Mum just gave me a very logical argument why I should not need to flaunt my knowledge."

"You are also way more cynical. And six months ago, you'd have stormed McGonagall's office hours ago."

"Was I really that bad?" she wanted to know after a pause.

"I can answer that in three words: _Or worse, expelled_!"

"Please don't remind me," Hermione groaned. She hung her head low, her nose just an inch from the tumbler, her hair hiding the blush on her cheeks.

"Guess I should use that as my words for the tournament. _At least I'm not expelled_! Cheers!" Harry threw back his Firewhiskey as the brunette groaned. However, his enthusiasm for the alcoholic beverage vanished as soon as he actually tasted it and his throat felt like he had swallowed a glass of burning oil.

While the fourth champion had a coughing fit, Hermione poked her tongue into the amber liquid and grimaced. "I think I will stick to a glass of dessert wine when I'm in France."

* * *

On the next morning, things started out bad and only got worse from there on. In an unprecedented show of House unity, Hufflepuff and Slytherin made a common front against Harry and loudly complained about a cheater who tarnished Hogwarts reputation, the disgrace he was for Gryffindor and many similar remarks. Either they were really bad at stage whispering or they simply didn't care if anyone from the staff overheard them. Not that the teachers made any move to stop it, Snape even enjoyed all the hate and anger directed at anyone named Potter.

After ten minutes, Harry had just finished his bowl of porridge when Leanne came into the Great Hall, half a step behind Professor Clearwater. The young teacher shot the Hufflepuffs a dark look, but it did not have the desired effect. If anything, the murmurs from the Badgers became louder as the Muggleborn sat down next to Katie, who kept rubbing her temples.

"What happened?"

"I was ousted out of Hufflepuff, that's what happened," Leanne snapped back at her best friend, who had not looked up from her plate. She took a deep breath and reached for a pot of tea. "Sorry, but I had a long night."

" _Ousted_?"

"When we got back from the Great Hall I was cornered by half of the house who wanted to know if I stood with Cedric or with you. When I told them that I didn't care about the bloody tournament, Preece called me a traitor. They voted me out within the minute. I didn't even know you could do that, mind you."

"You can?" Harry wanted to know, already dreading that the Gryffindor might do the same to him.

"It was nearly unanimous, just Stephanie and Rebecca from my dorm and Megan Jones from the year below voted against. There were some abstentions, but most just wanted me gone. Apparently, there was some clause that you can turf someone out if three-quarters of the house members agree that you have to go."

"You were kicked out of your house because of me?"

"You were just the pretence, a lot of Puffs didn't like that I spend most of my time with Katie and took any excuse to get rid of me."

"What about your boyfriend?"

"Justin looked very uncomfortable, but he didn't stick up for me. Too bad for him, he was cute."

"So it's over?" Katie asked, confused at the last sentence.

"Obviously. What kind of wanker wouldn't defend his girlfriend?"

"The one who doesn't deserve your time," Hermione cut in and Leanne gave her a grateful smile. "So, what happened next?"

"Well, you remember when we told you about Professor Clearwater handing out the bylaws, right?"

"Distantly, yes."

"Back then, I read the whole thing because I wanted to see if I could switch to Gryffindor, but that didn't go anywhere."

"So you don't have a House now?"

"Ye...no. I'm not sure how this will work out in the end, but right now I'm my own house with Pen- Professor Clearwater as my head of House. Or mentor, to be more accurate. It's one of those weird quirks that's still in the books from the time when the founders were still hand-picking their students."

"Why haven't I heard of such a regulation?" Hermione wanted to know. After she had taken a step back from her previous study habits, the brunette seemingly made up for it by devouring dozens of books unrelated to their coursework. And _Hogwarts: A History_ was still her favourite tome.

"Because in most cases, people simply used it to change houses. If another head of house becomes your mentor, you simply join their house. And I bet the majority of people who chose another teacher simply didn't make the history books."

"Fair point. How does your schedule work now?"

"Either I keep the old one or get Katie's, Pen - Professor Clearwater said that she has to speak to McGonagall first."

"That's it?"

"Well, what were you expecting? Pretty much all that changed is the place where I sleep and who is responsible for my detentions."

"Where did you sleep?" Katie cut in before things escalated further. Her best friend had the patience of a Saint, but once she lost it things got very ugly. And Hermione had the tendency to be as tactful as a battering ram whenever the occasion did not call for it.

"Uhm, after we went through three hours of paperwork I simply fell asleep in her armchair. She woke me up with a cup of tea and a pointer towards the shower, so I guess I should get her a box of chocolates or something like that," Leanne replied, caught off guard by the sudden change of topic. Professor Clearwater said that she would fix me something more permanent. Of course, we can still have our sleepovers."

Up at the teachers' table, Professor Clearwater gave her employer a quick rundown of the previous night. Dumbledore's eyes soon lost their happy gleam and he suddenly looked a decade older, his face buried in his palms. The youngest teacher reached inside her robe for a scroll of parchment, but the headmaster just waved her off. Harry was watching this scene, but he missed Professor Sprout's reaction as the morning post arrived, hundreds of owls carrying the Daily Prophet. The front page alone made it clear that he was in for a long week.

 **SCANDAL AT THE TOURNAMENT**

 _HARRY POTTER MYSTERIOUSLY FOURTH CHAMPION_

* * *

At first, Harry had expected that things would be more or less the same as back in his second year when everyone believed him to be the heir of Slytherin. Dark looks, stage whispers and a general disdain towards him, with the occasional jinx in between. The reality turned out to be a lot more violent, but not necessarily worse, as he was quick to find out. For one he wasn't as alone as he had been two years ago. Half of the Gryffindors openly supported him, even if nearly no one believed that he had not entered himself or did not want to participate. Ravenclaw chose the pragmatic approach and decided that two Hogwarts champions were better than one since even a fourth year with his limited abilities did not _worsen_ the overall odds for their school. The others, however, were pretty open about their contempt.

Tuesday passed mostly with rumours flying around and no one talked about anything else but how he had gotten in. Theories ranged from bribes and sleeping with Griselda Marchbanks or Amelia Bones to dark arts and blackmail. Each suggestion was wilder than the previous one, fueled by the sensationalism of the students. On Wednesday, two days after the Goblet spat out his name, the tension broke. Harry was walking back from Herbology when a group of third-year Hufflepuffs decided that it was time for a practical defence lesson. From the battlements atop the gatehouse, they let loose with a barrage of spells. Their first volley missed completely and the second one did not find its mark either.

However, a stray jinx hit Hermione, who had been fumbling to draw her wand from her robes. By that time, Harry had thrown up a shield and couldn't stop a humourless laugh at the sheer incompetence of that ambush. Even the combined assault of five people couldn't get through his shield, mostly because the deadliest curses used were joke spells and nothing which any sane person would cast in a duel. His friend dispelled the leg-locking jinx with a roll of her eyes before slashing her wand towards the gatehouse. The lightning which appeared out of thin air and scorched the grass in front of them made the Hufflepuffs run screaming.

But while a bunch of third years might be scared by an impressive if relatively harmless display of magic, the upper years took it as the opening note for another season of Harry hunting. While not as good as Dudley, Piers and the other boys from Little Whinging, curses were far more dangerous than a punch thrown by a ten-year-old.

Hermione and Katie got mixed up in spellfire a few times, but made it out relatively unharmed. Still, those incidents made it clear to Harry that he was not safe to be around anymore. Therefore, he chose to spend most of his free time on the grounds, enjoying the last few rays of sunshine before the Scottish winter set in. Between the Marauders Map and his invisibility cloak, he practically stopped existing outside of classes and the occasional meal with his friends.

"You know, I thought me getting nearly a dozen cats would be the highlight of the month. But no, you have to one-up your cousin," Tonks pointed out on Friday, her legs dangling over the edge of the viaduct which connected Hogwarts to the outside world.

"Stop it Dora, you're channelling your inner Snape."

"Maybe I ought to channel my outer Snape as well," the metamorph replied from the doorway and made herself look just like the Potion Master, just without the grease in her hair. "Potter you arrogant dunderhead, come and give your cousin a hug."

Harry tried to get up and make a run for it, but Dora was faster and it turned out to be a futile struggle. Thankfully, she at least dropped the impersonation before pulling him against her chest. She held him there, stroking his hair and the sat in silence until the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

"Through the use of my awesome powers and a vast network of spies, I found out what the first task will be,"

"You asked your friend at the import office?"

"I asked my friend at the import office. Apparently, the tournament is causing them a lot of paperwork. You see, due to the secrecy measures no one can talk about the tournament, but they forgot to include a couple of departments in that oath. People like to bitch about paperwork, especially if they don't understand the reason for doing it. And Hestia had to fast-track the import of another dragon right after your name came out of that bloody Goblet, with a deadline in two weeks."

"Bloody hell. So I have to fight a dragon? How am I supposed to do that?"

"You don't have to fight it, you'll just have to steal something from it. All first tasks are about getting something."

"Just steal something from a dragon? Should be a breeze, right?"

"Come on, taking them down isn't really difficult, the Soviet Union accidentally hunted their population to extinction because they shot all mysterious radar shadows found by their air defence network. And they didn't even use magic."

"Right, how stupid of me. I'll just grab my missile launcher - "

"You know, I'm pretty sure that I could actually get you one. Or at least an RPG."

"Wait, really?"

"Well, I'm sure that I could dig one up somewhere - " Dora trailed off before giving her cousin a sheepish grin. "On second thought, I probably shouldn't encourage you to break the law. Those are highly illegal and I'm an Auror after all."

"Really? I didn't notice."

"Oi ya little shit, ya not too old to have ya o'er my knee!" Tonks snarled before they both laughed at her atrocious butchering of dialects. And her joke definitely lightened Harry's mood.

"How long have you been waiting to say that?"

"Years. Never had the opportunity though," Dora admitted before putting her hands on his shoulders, all traces of humour gone. "Listen, I know it sounds stupid, but Mum and I have cooked up something which should keep you relatively safe - "

"Safe? I have to take on a bloody dragon and steal something it is guarding."

"Yes, but dragons aren't exactly the smartest creatures around, otherwise there wouldn't be a single city still standing. Anyway, our super awesome plan is really easy. You distract the dragon and then use magic to grab the thing. If they have wards so you can't summon the prize, use a sticking charm on rock and then summon that."

"So now I just have to distract a dragon? Piece of cake, right?"

"Obviously, we need to iron out the details. But transfiguration should be enough to distract the dragon, either by distracting it with something tasty or with something dangerous."

"I'm not that good at transfiguration. And what if the dragon isn't hungry?" Harry wanted to know, failing to think of something he could actually do to distract the dragon. Turning a tree in a cow was far above his ability, and that was nothing to say about creating a real threat to his opponent.

"Well, plan B is to blow stuff up."

* * *

 **AN:**

Originally, this was supposed to include Harry's date with Lisa, but after passing 7500 words, that one was split off into a separate chapter. The next chapter will definitely not take another three months.

Opinions on the Dumbledore characterisation?


	15. Into the Deep

Harry sat on a rock overlooking the Black Lake, a book about dragon behaviour on his lap. He had not turned a page in the last thirty minutes, instead staring off the distance while his mind went a mile a minute, circling around fire-breathing lizards, the Tournament and what kind of madness would be part of tasks two and three. The only reason why he wasn't frozen to the bone was an enchanted leather coat Dora had given him as a "You might as well look good while you're screwed" present.

While he didn't love the material like his cousin did, the magic woven into it was superb and kept him comfortable enough to get lost in thought. Therefore Harry remained oblivious of the newcomer until she spoke up from right next to him.

"We were supposed to be at Hogsmeade right now."

The Gryffindor jumped in surprise and fell off his perch. He narrowly avoided planting his face into the ground and ended up doing an odd summersault upon landing, which drew a laugh from Lisa and turned her annoyed expression into a pout.

"I didn't think that you would have wanted to be seen with me. It's not exactly safe you know?" Harry tried to deflect, not meeting her eyes. He hadn't forgotten about the date but had simply given up on the idea of a girlfriend when the curses had become a regular occurrence.

"I talked to Hermione and she told me everything. How people would curse you whenever they see you - "

"See?"

"Your friend also said that you are being a broody arse who needs a good kick to get out of your funk."

"She actually said that?" Harry wanted to know as he got up from the ground, turned towards the Ravenclaw and froze. He had seen her in normal clothes before, but this was the first time he noticed that she had put some effort into her appearance. Lisa's black hair reached her jawline, a few layers carefully staggered to look messy. But by far the most eye-catching were her leggings. The pink and black fabric clung to her legs and perhaps for the first time, Harry truly appreciated that particular body part. And then she noticed where his eyes were.

"So you like the outfit?"

"It is - very fetching," the Gryffindor stuttered, his face trying to match his house colours.

"I guess there are benefits from having an aunt who drags me through the Dales each summer - "

"Definitely!" Harry blurted out before he could think about it.

Lisa snorted at his confession before she had to chuckle, her cheeks becoming even redder. "God, you're almost as bad as Sue. Come on then, luckily for you I happen to like you."

"Where are we going?"

"To a surprise," the Ravenclaw said with a conspiratory wink before jerking her head towards a barely visible path which followed the shore. "That way. Don't worry there shouldn't be any students around there."

"Oh, good."

"What's up with that anyway?" she asked as they began to walk towards her mysterious destination.

"The Hufflepuffs are mad that I'm a champion - "

"They curse you whenever they get the chance!"

"I think it's no secret that they don't get the limelight very often so they took my participation as a personal insult. Slytherin is happy for any excuse to take a shot at me and about half of the Gryffindors now think that I'm a cheater because I'm in the Tournament - "

"How DID you end up in the Tournament?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. Dumbledore thinks it was someone in the Ministry, but he has no proof."

"Alright."

"You believe me?" Harry wanted to know, his surprise leaking into his tone.

"Sure. I don't really care either way, but I don't think that you're a glory hog, so if you say you didn't enter yourself then that's good enough for me."

"Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome," Lisa replied and gave him a wide smile which made his stomach feel oddly light. "So the Hufflepuffs are offended?"

"Yup."

"Because you are in the Tournament?"

"Yes."

"And the Badgers complain that you take the attention away from Diggory - Which is why they do the only logical thing and put you in the spotlight even more. That makes a lot of sense."

"Totally."

"But honestly, don't you mind that out of nowhere people randomly curse you?

"Well, it's not that bad. The worst Hermione had to fix was a broken arm."

"Not bad?" Lisa asked with a raised voice, flushing a few birds out of the underwood. "You call that not bad?"

"You should have seen the other blokes."

"They broke your arm!"

"And she mended that in five seconds. I also gave Katie a shot at healing a gash, but let's just say that her strength does not lie in the medical field."

"Why didn't you go to Madam Pomfrey?"

"Because I trust my friends a lot more," Harry said and noticed Lisa's raised eyebrows. "Pomfrey already lost her healer's license. The only reason that she is still around is that no one wants the job. You'd have to move into Hogwarts for ten months each year and the pay isn't great either."

"That's reassuring. Just like the teachers ignore how you're treated."

"I had a chat with Moody about that. He said that I should see it as training for the tournament. That if I couldn't deal with a bunch of idiots, then I'd stand no chance in a tournament infamous for sicking Basilisks at the Champions. And he'd get me out of detentions if I defend myself."

"That's not very nice."

Harry had to laugh at this. "Does Moody look like he's nice?"

"Point taken. Still, what about the other teachers?"

"Snape would probably love to throw a few curses himself. Flitwick stays out unless things get really dangerous, probably the Goblin side in him. Sprout lost control over the Hufflepuffs when she tried to punish them for throwing Leanne out but couldn't do anything since they've broken no rules. And McGonagall is only there when she's giving out detentions."

"What was that all about anyway?"

"Leanne spent a lot more time with Katie than with her housemates. The other girls in her dorm didn't mind, but - wait, are we going to the Boathouse?" Harry wanted to know once he noticed the building peeking out of the birches and firns which lined the shore.

"Yup. I've always wanted to sail across the lake and actually see something, so I might as well rope you in," Lisa replied happily, picking up the pace once the path circled a large boulder and straightened out on the last yards to the

" _Sail_?"

"Shut up. Besides, I've asked Flitwick and the oars are just for show. The boats themselves are charmed to move on their own

"So we are actually allowed to do that?"

"Well," Lisa paused to push the gates open, "the door wasn't locked."

The first thing Harry noticed was the stale air. Even though the Boathouse was open to the lake, the damp smell would have done a dungeon proud. It was fairly damp and he wouldn't be surprised if a swarm of magical pests was just waiting for an opportunity to strike. The boats themselves were floating a yard above the water, held up by invisible chains. Lisa tapped one with her wand and it lowered itself, unmoving as it had been glued to the dock.

"What are you waiting for?"

* * *

"So, tell me something about you that I don't know," Lisa said once they had cleared the Boathouse and slowly glided over the lake. While the small crafts could fit four firsties if they squeezed together, there was not an awful lot of space left between the pair inside.

"Uhm - I once ate a whole jar of pickles after Dora said that I couldn't do it. And I actually liked it, they tasted far better than I expected when - "

"No you - " Lisa cut in but she could not stop herself from laughing. She tried to calm herself down only to start giggling again and again. By Harry's guess, it took her more than a minute during which he grew increasingly nervous, even if she looked cute laughing so freely. "I - I meant something about you, dork!"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, that's what I'm asking," she said and this time he found himself laughing along. The tingling sensation in his stomach was almost as distracting as the adorable blush on Lisa's cheeks and he caught himself staring more than once.

"Well, then tell me something I don't know about you."

"Not fair, I asked first."

"That's why you need to give me an example."

"Fine. I love to travel at night. By car or train, there's something - tranquil about watching all the city lights fly by when no one is out. Obviously, you won't see much of that in London, but Newcastle and York, or even Durham are really peaceful after midnight," Lisa admitted a little lost in the memory.

"What's something you want to do at Hogwarts?" Harry wanted to know after a moment of thought, bringing his date back to the present.

"Hmm, I always wanted to explore the Forbidden Forest, but Sue and Padma don't want to come along and Mandy would only tell Flitwick."

"It's not that special. Kinda creepy to be honest - "

"You have been inside? I thought those were just rumours."

"Well, I had a detention where I had to help Hagrid clean up a mess in there and a couple of run-ins with the monsters lurking inside," Harry said and made a dramatic pause. He was pretty sure that the truth would come across as boasting, so the whitewashed tales had to do. "Those haven't been that bad all things considered. Worst I got was a stubbed toe when running away."

"How does it look inside? There have to be enormous, old trees and all sorts of magical creatures. Oh and what about - "

"Lisa, it was always night when I had been in the forest. And it is really creepy after dark in there."

"Oh. What's your favourite season?"

"I haven't really thought about - probably summer because you can go outside without ten layers of clothes. What about you?" Harry wanted to know and deliberately had not mentioned the real, Dursley-related reason why he liked summer. Being in the park, or even the garden had been far better than the cupboard and Number four had taught him to appreciate small mercies if nothing else.

"Early autumn, when everything is red and gold. Not like now, when everything is grey and miserable."

"Gold and Red? Are you sure you're not a Gryffindor at heart?"

"Nope, Raven through and through. Even when I'm not paying attention in class I learn things."

"Teach me this power!" Harry jokingly plead as that was bound to be useful.

"Well, a lot of the older history books read like adventure novels so whenever we had a pointless lesson like Binns, Lockhart or Quirrel I simply read those instead. I really doubt that even half of that was true, but the authors back then certainly knew how to entertain."

"Funny thing you mention Quirrel. You see there was this one time on Christmas Eve when we were having a snowball fight. Quirrel walks in and the Weasley twins charm a bunch of snowballs to smack against the back of his turban. What they didn't know was…"

It went on like this for an hour, he and Lisa swapped stories as the boat lazily bopped over the minuscule waves on the Black Lake. Harry may had known Lisa for three years and been her friend for more than two months, but there were countless things which had simply never come up before, ranging from favourite food and beverage up to stories about her aunt Susan, who travelled the world as part of her work for the Portsmouth Shipping Company. In return, he told her about some of the odd things in the Tonks household, like snowball fights in the middle of summer.

* * *

"... And since I have been steering this boat since we left the dock, you really ought to call me _Captain_."

"Wouldn't that make you a _helmsman_?"

"Shut up!"

"And this boat is clearly the pride of the Royal Navy. Clearly, she is the mightiest ship to ever sail the seven seas."

" _Shut UP!_ " the Ravenclaw pouted but could not stop herself from laughing.

"Aye Captain Turrrpin. Should I rrrun out the guns and prrreparrre to boarrrd anotherrr ship as well?"

"Yeah yeah, you might make fun of me know, but when we return with tons of Spanish gold you will be begging me for a share," Lisa replied while she held an invisible spyglass to her eye and searched the shore, a grin on her face.

"We are in the middle of the Highlands, there isn't a single ship within 50 miles."

"Really? And that three-master over there is just an illusion?"

"That's a school, not a treasure ship," Harry pointed out and suddenly became very aware that their legs had been touching for a while now. She followed his eyes, briefly glanced downwards herself and her cheeks became a shade redder.

"It sits in the water."

"It hosts a foreign school!"

"It has sails!"

"People go there to learn!"

"It has an anchor," the Ravenclaw replied softly and gave him an odd look. He couldn't make sense of it, but it felt important nonetheless. Harry did not feel like replying at all, instead he tried to take in every little feature in those warm, dark brown eyes. Lisa fiddled with her hands for a moment and sighed before suddenly leaning forwards. For a moment he feared that he would be on the receiving end of a Glasgow kiss, but with the unexpected help of the rolling boat, she managed to stop in time, a few hairs faintly brushing against his forehead.

Harry's eyes darted across the face, stopping at a small scar on her left cheek which ran up to a freckle near the base of her nose. He wondered where that came from and noticed that his hands were badly shaking. She inched a little closer and closed her eyes. Harry did the same and became very aware of the close proximity to the witch. His breathhhitched and his mouth felt dry. _Was this really going to be -_

The next thing he felt were incredibly soft lips briefly brush over his before their second attempt was more fruitful and, for a moment, there was nothing but her blissful touch. The scent of vanilla drowned out the lake and everything else as Lisa pulled back an inch, an impish if slightly dreamy smile on her face as their eyes locked once again. He was quite sure that his grin looked more than a little stupid, but the Gryffindor didn't care.

He wanted more contact, to hug her and hold her tight. To run a hand through her hair and play with it. All those urges he had not even known to exist suddenly made an appearance and he was almost as surprised by those as by the kiss itself. However, their current position didn't allow for much movement.

Apparently, Lisa had the same idea and leaned back in, more forceful this time. For a brief moment, Harry was completely overwhelmed by the sensation, the softness of her warm lips and the tingles which ran down his spine. He barely felt her arm on his shoulder and her hand on his neck before everything began to move.

Before he could understand what was happening, a short falling sensation was followed by a wave of coldness and then water was everywhere. It took Harry a moment to get his bearings straight and figure that somehow, he had fallen in the Black Lake and it was probably a good idea to get some air.

Swimming with clothes on was a little tricky, but compared to the Atlantic ocean, there were no waves or tides to worry about. And compared to the usual trouble he ended up, the Scottish lake wasn't that bad, just wet and cold. Supposedly, there were all kinds of magical creatures lurking in the deep, just waiting to feast on the unsuspecting swimmer. And despite this knowledge and a perfect score on Professor Lupin's practical test, Harry was caught completely off guard.

When he was only three feet away from breathable air, something wrapped itself around his midriff from behind. Harry tried to struggle against the unseen assailant but before he could do as much as trash around, he was yanked upwards. After breaking the surface, the Gryffindor gasped for air but ended up coughing as some water went down his windpipe. By the time he could breathe again, his captor was holding him inches above the boat, where his drenched date was already sitting with an unreadable expression. He was gently lowered to his earlier seat before the grip loosened and Harry saw a tentacle retreat into the dark depths.

Trust Hogwarts to come up with something as ridiculous as a giant squid who served as a lifeguard. Although that explained why Dennis Creevey had been so excited about going overboard on his boat ride earlier this year.

"Not. A. Word. Sue will be unbearable about this, so please don't start as well," Lisa hissed at Harry before he could say anything. She then mumbled something about being _dripping wet_ , but the Gryffindor didn't feel like it was safe to ask for clarification.

"Uh, I wanted to offer you a drying charm - "

"Oh. Didn't Flitwick say that we'd cover those after Easter?"

"I might have helped Katie and Leanne with their practical charm homework last year…"

"You could help them with their homework?"

"Well, you know how Flitwick's assignments are like. For water conjuring and drying charms, he suggested a water fight and it sounded fun."

"That's even better than the pillow fight he _assigned_ for the banishing charm last year."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"Oh, is the boy-who-lived afraid of the big, bad pillow?" Lisa teased and swiped a strand of wet hair out of her face. Harry stared at it for a second because, in his opinion, it was utterly distracting and looked absolutely glorious.

"Parvati had the idea to turn it into a group practice and let's just say that Lavender is a force to be reckoned with if you give her an endless supply of pillows.

"Lavender Brown, the divination nut and gossip girl?"

"I have no idea what she was doing, and I don't think she fully understood it either, but we still scrambled for cover. Her pillows had the tendency to burst mid-air. You think you are in cover and then feathers were every- " Harry trailed off when Lisa shivered again and reminded him what they had been talking about. And his wet boxers weren't particularly comfortable to sit in, even if his coat was surprisingly comfy when wet. "So, drying charms?"

"Please."

Harry first cast the spell on his sleeve to make sure he had wasn't overdoing it before applying it to his date. It wouldn't do to accidentally set the Ravenclaw on fire, especially after their outing already had included an involuntary dip in the freezing lake.

With all their layers of coats, jumpers, trousers, shirts and underwear, it was impossible for Harry to judge when Lisa was dry and cosy again, therefore he simply kept casting until she said something. However, the black-haired witch kept shivering even after her clothes were crisp-dry and warm, like straight out of the dryer.

Harry paused for a moment, well aware that hypothermia wasn't all that conducive for a second date, and he wanted that very much. It ought to go better than this one but there wasn't much he could do - Unless - _Yes that might actually work._

With a jab of his wand, he transfigured one of the spare oars into a plank before turning that into a blanket. Professor McGonagall would definitely not accept that kind of work in her class, but Lisa eagerly wrapped herself into the fabric, even if it was too stiff and several spots retained their wooden texture.

* * *

"How about hot chocolate from the kitchens?"

"Harry, that is a sweet offer, but I really, really want to get back to my dorms and stay under a hot shower until I can cut the fog in there with a knife, or maybe even permanently move in there."

The Gryffindor took the rejection in stride but had no idea what to say next. Therefore the remaining boat-ride back to the dock passed in awkward silence. He helped Lisa out of the small vessel and was quite surprised when she grabbed his hand from under the blanket she wore like a cape. Harry nearly jumped out of shock since her skin was freezing cold, but didn't resist when she pulled him towards the castle proper.

Unlike during their return trip across the lake, the silence was not uncomfortable. Lisa was pressed against his side and his hand in hers, buried under several layers of clothes, but Harry could not tell if she actually liked him or just was freezing. They passed the entrance Hall and she led him to a room next to the Great Hall, where a shortcut to Ravenclaw Tower was hidden. With the upper years at Hogsmeade and most of the younger students back in their common rooms, the corridors were empty and whether by design or coincide, they didn't come across a single person.

At this point, Harry was utterly confused about what Lisa was thinking. Their date hadn't been bad before the detour _into_ the Black Lake, and that one had not been his fault. Yet he also had given up on the date before it even began, which had not been chivalrous at all. The silence was definitely not a good sign, but her hand in his was so the whole situation only added to his bewilderment.

"Today was fun - "

Harry had expected a _but_ to follow, together with an explanation why there wouldn't be a second date. Instead, Lisa leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek before skipping towards the shortcut. She stopped at the blue tapestry and looked back over her shoulder, her cheeks red. There was a wide grin on her face, further fueled by his gobsmacked expression.

"Think of something fun to do next Saturday, will you?"

* * *

 **AN:**

Reviews?

So yeah, nearly 4k words on a date in a story which is not supposed to be a romance. Think of this as chapter 14.2 instead of its own thing, because that's what it started out as. Future chapters, with a couple of exceptions, will return to the previous "slice of life" focus which follows Harry through his 4th year.

Before anyone complains about instant romances, please remember that teenagers usually do not declare their undying love before their first kiss. Instead, they do all kinds of stupid stuff because they are horny. I'm not writing a romance story to milk all tropes, I'm writing a fourth year AU with a romantic subplot and I'm trying to depict a teenage romance in a believable way, even if that means to abandon the common story layout where people get together at the end of the book. Also, I hope the whole thing felt organic since I tried to bring some of the confusing realities of dating across and not just a "perfect kiss" drowned in purple prose.

And yes, Lavender Brown accidentally came up with magical airburst pillows.


	16. Prelude to Dragons

The levitation charm was the third spell taught at Hogwarts. It was one of the most commonly used bits of magic and even the least gifted witches and wizards were proficient with it. But for the First Task, Harry needed more than that. Lifting even thousands of pounds was not a challenge, but precision was usually only required for snowball fights and putting up Christmas decorations. And so, despite being able to match the year above in the discipline, he had to go over that simple spell.

It started out pretty simple. Katie gave him a basketball and placed the matching ring on the other end of an empty classroom. Harry needed a day until he could reliably sink three-pointers from anywhere. Then she set up a slalom course and upped the difficulty for each successful run. By the end of the week, he has to float a ball of parchment through burning hoops, in between poles covered in wet paint and through gasoline soaked funnels.

In comparison, Hermione's training method was outright evil. She gave him a ballpoint pen, a book on Goblin rebellions in the Principality of Muscovy and a notebook. All he had to do was copy the text, using nothing but the levitation charm. And Goblin names butchered by the Russian language were an absolute nightmare to spell, even without the levitation part. And after two chapters, she upped the game and had him transcribe runes without knowing what they meant. Harry hated every minute of the exercise, but much too his chagrin, it was a very effective method, even if he felt like floating her through the air half of the time.

* * *

After their day out, things turned out to be awkward between Harry and Lisa. Neither knew where exactly they stood, and the resulting dance around each other was entertaining for everyone but the pair. Sure, they were dating to some degree, but did that make them boy- and girlfriend or was there some kind of protocol they each had to follow? And what exactly were the expectations once the formalities were out of the way?

With Harry pondering such questions and Lisa not faring any better, most of their next Muggle Studies class went by with stolen glances and Sue Li laughing at their shared misery. And the research assignment on Diesel engines the following day went by in a similar fashion, at least until the Ravenclaw had enough and, after a tense hour, grabbed his right hand under the table and held it there with a look which promised pain if he dared to complain.

Lisa didn't seem to mind that she had to write down everything from that point on. And when Harry began to trace patterns across her knuckles, she let her head drop on his shoulder and nearly dozed off. After that, neither of them could focus on engines and instead the two teenagers talked in hushed tones, oblivious to the world around them. By the time Madam Prince closed the library, they had not gotten much work done but both sported matching stupid grins.

With the training for the first task and the regular schoolwork, time flew by. Saturday turned out to be a welcome relief from the preparations as Harry made good on his word and picked Lisa up at eleven, mindful to not be seen. He could live with random students hurling spells at him, but she deserved better.

And after practising blasting curses and shield charms for weeks, the Gryffindor was able to hold his own, even when outnumbered. But Katie was raised by a mother who had no magic, not an Aunt who could cast countless dark curses without muttering a single word.

To mirror their first date, on Saturday Harry lead her down to the Boathouse, but then chose a different form of transportation. Riding his Firebolt, they skimmed the waves and crossed the lake less than a foot above its surface. The Gryffindor used the superb handling of his broom to occasionally drop a few inches because Lisa clung tighter to his back each time.

"If we end up in the lake again, I'm dumping you!"

"But how would you dump me if I'm already in the lake?"

"What - NOT FAIR! You are supposed to fear my mock-threats, not make fun of them!"

"You could say that I'm mocking them," Harry quipped and Lisa's reply died on her tongue when the Firebolt jerked forwards.

By the time they had reached a hundred twenty miles per hour and the other shore, there was absolutely no space left between them. Harry slowed down again, steered into the Forbidden Forest and wove his way in between the tall trees, careful to stay near the edge and always on the lookout for gigantic spiders or anything else Hagrid might consider a cuddly pet.

The Gryffindor picked a leisurely pace so that Lisa could enjoy the view. Most likely due to his previous adventures, Harry didn't feel like exploring all too much and kept them sixty feet above the ground. It should be good enough to satisfy her curiosity but high enough to escape through the treetops if need be. Their luck held and the only creatures they found were a herd of unicorns and a pair of Hagrid's hippogriffs as well as countless smaller animals like squirrels, foxes and birds.

After an hour, the trees started to thin out and quickly dropped in height until the pair reached a clearing near a small lake. Surrounded by the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest and a moor, they had a picknick and talked about their summers, classes and Lisa's tinkering with runes. She showed off her pocket-warming rock and it was going well until she decided to drop a bombshell on their way back.

"This place was nice. I'll have to take you to Madam Puddifoot's for our next date to keep up with that."

"I'm not going," Harry protested and thought back to the scenes of horror which he had witnessed last year. "Lavender dragged Dean there on Valentines Day and he needed months to get back to his usual self. He even had nightmares."

"The nightmares came from the Demenotors and not the tea shop. And that's the one day you shouldn't go there. Sally, bless her heart, tends to overdo Valentines Day. She is a hopeless romantic, but it is the only place where you can get green tea around here. Green tea with raspberries. It took my aunt a month to find some with raspberries, and she deals with tea for a living. Also, the cakes are to die for."

"Sally? You are on a first name basis with the owner?"

"I spent almost my entire Hogsmeade weekends there. You HAVE to try the Bohemian apple pie, the Black Forest cake - and if we are lucky there will be some Baklava. Stupid tournament, why did they have to cancel the second trip this month!"

While Harry would need some time before he accepted the invitation to the lion's den, he could not ignore how adorable Lisa looked during her impromptu advertisement speech. And so he did the one thing which felt right at that moment, he leaned in and kissed her. What was supposed to be a short peck on her lips became a much longer activity when the Ravenclaw grabbed his neck and held him in place. By the time he had worked a hand under the back of her sweater, Harry was laying in a field of heather and Lisa was flat against his chest. A waterfall lapped in the distance as they caught their breath, the smell or earth and moss mixed with her vanilla soap - _There were definitely worse ways to spend a Saturday._

* * *

It was the next week when a bigger issue came up. For his chosen plan, Harry needed to master three spells. In theory it was easy, distract the dragon, stick something to the egg and then summon that thing. All of the Tonks had offered to give him lessons, but he had refused because the last thing he wanted to do is impose on his family, even if they said they wouldn't mind. This wasn't like during the summer where he had gotten help based on years of experience, this were just some spells he needed to learn. And a School for magic was the ideal place to do so.

Surprisingly, it was the sticking charm which turned out to be the most challenging part. On his first try, Harry had magically glued two large pebbles together with relative ease. His mistake only became apparent when he tried to summon the pair and tore a plank out of the wooden floor alongside the rocks. The next few attempts hardly went any better, and while he was able to unstick himself from a table, this wouldn't do him any good during the task. He needed help and after three days of fruitless labour, there was really only one choice whom to ask, so Harry soon found himself in a small office on the second floor.

"Professor?"

"Yes Harry?" the Flitwick asked with a wave to his desk. The Gryffindor got the cue and crossed the room, squeezing past several tall stacks of books.

"I'm having trouble with a spell and thought that you might be able to help me."

"Of course, of course. Is this about the freezing charm? I have heard that you were struggling with it last year. Understandable of course, you were trying to match the year ahead - "

"Actually, it is about the sticking charm."

"Well, it is a sixth-year spell so it's only natural that you aren't able to cast it immediately."

"I can cast it. It's just, I'm doing it too well."

"Too well?" the short Professor asked with a raised eyebrow and Harry had to admit that it sounded like he was trying to brag about it.

"The spell works for me. The issue is that when I try to stick a picture of the wall, I stick it to my hand as well. And if I want to get away, I have to cancel the charm and then the picture falls down," Harry told the cover story he had come up with since the teachers were technically forbidden from helping with the tournament. Flitwick clearly did not buy the excuse, but did not seem to care either way.

"Ah, I see - What are you thinking about when you cast it?"

"That I want to make the picture sticky. That way I can hang it to the wall - "

"There you have your mistake. You have to focus on which part of the frame you want to charm."

"But I am aiming at the backside, not the whole picture."

"Harry, that doesn't make sense. Even if you are aiming at the backside, you expect to charm it in entirety, not just the small part your wand is pointed at.

"That - you are right," the Gryffindor conceded after a minute of thinking about Flitwick's words.

"I certainly hope so, I would be a poor teacher otherwise."

"So, how do I cast the spell properly?"

"You have to envision the exact effect you want to achieve. You don't want to make the entire frame sticky, just a few spots on its backside. Picture it in your head. The better you can do that, the better the results."

"Is there a way I can best practice that?"

"It is a NEWT spell, so most students are past visualisation when it is their time to learn - What to do, what to do?" Flitwick trailed off and began to rummage through one of his cupboards filled to the brim with boxes full of toys. "Usually, I teach visualisation at the end of the fifth year and in the Charms club. The method is to play around with _Lumos_ , change the colour, add a blinking pattern and similar exercises. However, I take that you urgently want to hang your _picture_ to the wall?"

"The sooner the better," Harry admitted and his pretence was getting more ridiculous each time he said it.

"I see. If you don't have the time for the usual method, we just have to do come up with something else," the Charms Professor said and went back to his cupboard. He threw out a few odds and ends before he found something which would work for spell practice. Eventually, Flitwick grabbed a Rubik's cube and gave it a long look. "Yes, this will do fine. You can start with entire sides and if you get that down, you can always twist it around and charm the individual squares. Maybe all tiles of one colour at the same time."

"Thank you."

"Remember Harry, you have to picture exactly what parts you want to charm. You made a good attempt at a Patronus Charm during the last Quidditch match and this is not so different. Just, instead of focusing on happiness, you need to think about the exact areas you want to charm. But promise me that you will go through the regular exercise once your picture is firmly hanging on the wall. You would be surprised how useful a flash of light can be in a duel."

"Yes Professor, and thank you again."

* * *

As Harry was preoccupied with his new charm practice, time flew by. Hermione spent most of the days away from Gryffindor tower, undoubtedly in the library or outside with a book she had borrowed. Katie and Leanne teamed up on him until he relented and the trio went to play a very enjoyable match of pickup Quidditch and it wasn't until he was defying gravity and common sense for hours that Harry realised how desperately he had needed a break.

Yet there was one development which caught him completely off guard. For the first time, one of Malfoy's schemes had been successful and one morning, three quarters of the Hogwarts students was wearing badges which read "I support Cedric Diggory, the REAL Hogwarts champion". They could also change to "POTTER STINKS!", which, while rather childish still got on his nerves after reading it for the fiftieth time. Even quite a few Gryffindors had picked them up, with Angelina and Neville being the most noteworthy.

While Harry didn't care much about it at first, Leanne's counter-idea of fancier badges made him crack up. That was until she actually crafted said badges which read "I support Harry Potter, the REAL champion" over a shattered Dark Mark. And to add insult to injury, tapping them with a wand changed the message to "Hufflepuffs are hypocrites". They were far less popular than Malfoy's, but even the few worn by some Gryffindors and Ravenclaws made him feel a little better. There was just something about seeing people he barely knew openly supporting him.

* * *

"Potter, a word!"

Harry spun around and was surprised to end up face to face with four Slytherins, a pair of fifth-year twins, a rather short witch and the Keeper of their Quidditch team. Harry went for his wand but the next words startled him more than the four people coming at him.

"That bitch I call sister wants to hurt you," the young blonde blurted out before anyone could say more and the Gryffindor tried to figure out why she seemed vaguely familiar. Her comment also stopped him from reaching for his wand because it was the single, most un-Slytherin like thing he has heard from them in four years.

Miles Bletchley decided to elaborate a little further, gently holding her back. "What Astoria is trying to say is that our house mates have decided to make your life hell before the first task starts, ideally preventing you from participating and therefore making you a squib without even getting into trouble."

"Why - Why would you warn me?"

"Because I hate what the other Slytherins have turned her into. She doesn't even act as she knows me anymore. It's just _Pansy this, Pansy that_ , nothing else."

"The two of them had the idea to hurt you and it quickly spread through the whole common room. I want to make a career in Quidditch, I don't want anything to do with messing up some kid," Bletchley said slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "And the twins could do without an additional connection to their cousins - You don't recognise them, do you?"

"Eh - No," Harry admitted a little embarrassed. "Sorry."

"These charming witches are Flora and Hestia Carrow, cousins of the infamous Carrow twins. We - ehm - grew up together."

"What our _brother_ is trying to say is that after our parents _mysteriously_ died and our cousins were sent to Azkaban, we ended up in the care of the Bletchley family. And it has been the three of us against the entire world ever since," the left witch said but the way she pressed herself into his side was anything but sisterly.

"But please don't harm my sister. Daffy used to be different - "

"What the little one said. We know that it might not be possible, but at least try to keep Greengrass unharmed."

"Thanks, I guess. I - Will see you around?" Harry mumbled while he tried to make sense of the conversation. It was highly unusual that any Slytherin was upfront and open about things, but this could be a lot worse than Malfoy's usual schemes. Hell, after Dumbledore's warning, it didn't seem too outlandish that someone might use the Goblet to get rid of him. And given that Slytherin was the house of cunning, eventually, someone had to be smarter than Malfoy about their plots.

* * *

After the warning, Harry made good use of his invisibility cloak and the Marauder Map. He basically became a ghost outside of the classes and the common room. He avoided large groups of Slytherins to the best of his ability. Three or four were not a problem, but he didn't particularly fancy the odds against fifteen or twenty. And unlike the Hufflepuffs who _supported_ Diggory, these were people from the old families, people taught the Dark Arts as soon as they could hold a wand. Harry knew that not all of them were bad people but finding them was like looking for the needle in a stack of poison ivy.

Still, there had been uncomfortably many close calls with groups of people who did not like they were there for conversations. And despite his best efforts, some encounters were unavoidable.

"Look at that scarhead," Malfoy sneered and held up the latest Daily Prophet, which had an article about Harry allowing Andromeda to be the regent of House Potter. "Afraid of being an adult? Pathetic!"

"And I take you would be up for it?"

"Of course, my parents trained me for it since I was five. Everything from managing our Estate to setting up contracts. Did your parents not - Oh right, you had none!"

Harry knew that Malfoy was baiting him, that Snape was probably waiting around the corner, that he should be the mature one and simply walk away. And yet, his wand was out in an instant, Hermione and, oddly enough Seamus and Lavender beating the Slytherins to the draw. Malfoy, not happy with four wands pointing straight at him, but also unwilling to lose face, merely turned around with a parting shot. "Hiding behind your friends now? Pathetic Potter, it fits your name."

"At least my mother loved me. She stood up to your father's master. Yours, on the other hand, realised that you were a hopeless case and ditched you!"

With all the attention focused on Malfoy, no one saw the teal curse before it hit Harry square in the back and dropped him down on one knee. It was as if a Bulger had slammed into him with full force without the protective enchantments usually woven into Quidditch robes. Gasping for air, he was still on the ground once the worst possible person decided that it was time for some grand entrance. "Ten points to Slytherin for keeping your temper, Mr Malfoy. Potter, Granger, Finnigan, Brown, twenty from Gryffindor, _each_!"

"Professor - Professor Snape?"

"What is it, Abbott?"

"I - I was asked by Professor Dumbledore to fetch Potter for some tournament business. Something about the press being there - "

"Is that so? Well, we wouldn't want to keep Mr Potter from his date with the Daily Prophet. It might very well be the only chance he gets," the Head of Slytherin replied with his sickly smooth voice and most of the class burst out laughing. "50 Points from Gryffindor for being an imbecile who cannot use a calendar. Now, stop the theatrics and hurry along before the Goblet decides that you violated the terms you agreed to and die in front of my classroom."

"Come along Potter, I have better things to do than lead you through the corridors like a lost Firsty," Hannah said with enough disdain that Snape gave her ten points for it. "They are waiting in front of the Great Hall."

The wand weighing itself is was a strange affair. With everything else going on, Harry had almost forgotten that he was no longer using the Phoenix-core wand. Sure, the Dragon heartstring one was a lot worse at transfiguration and he had to put some effort into the subject, but he has yet to notice the kind of sentience Ollivander believed to exist. The ancient wandmaker acted as if he was not sure whether to be deeply offended about the switch to his competition or to drool about the fact that the replacement somehow was a carbon copy of Lily Evans' wand, just made by Gregorowich. Harry had long forgotten about his mother's wand and it was nice to have another connection to her other than his eyes.

But the way the journalists jumped on that tidbit was more than a little creepy. And the resulting article spun a tale that he supposedly broke down brawling his eyes out once told about it. Much to the delight of the Hogwarts student body, who was quick to offer his tissues wherever he went. Unfortunately for Harry, even that short distraction quickly passed and as the days flew by, his anxiety grew. Everyone told him that this was normal when expecting to fight a dragon within a week, but that wisdom did little to calm his nerves.

* * *

 **AN:**

Is it a bad decision for Harry to tackle the situation on his own instead of telling his family? Obviously. Would the Hogwarts teachers care? Obviously not, they didn't do anything in canon so why should they now? Just look at all the shit Malfoy and Snape were allowed to pull. Is it possible for protagonists to make bad decisions? Well, unless you name them Mary Sue it should be. Will the Tonks be happy once they find out what is going on at Hogwarts? Of course not, but Harry will need some time until "ask for help" becomes something he would do as his first choice

Originally I intended to have the First Task in this one, but after passing 6k words and not being done with it, here's everything up to the Task while the Dragon part is most likely going to be released next Weekend.


	17. Dragons

On the day of the first task, Harry was a nervous wreck. He had faced worse than a dragon before, but back then he didn't have time to imagine countless ways he could end up gored, impaled, crushed, roasted or swallowed whole. Without the adrenaline running through his veins, it seemed like certain death. He had been monster hunting in the Forbidden Forest, racing away from a swarm of hungry Dementors, ridden an animated car while pursued by Acromantulas, fought the King of Serpents and wrestled with a possessed teacher, but he never has had time to think those through beforehand. Knowing what was to come and being unable to change it was driving him mad.

Breakfast, the morning and lunch flew by and before he really noticed it, Harry stood at the foot of the arena, waiting for his family to arrive. After being hugged by the Tonks, the fourth champion remembered that he had not come alone. And upon seeing Dora's predatory smile, he wondered if perhaps the task could be rescheduled to start immediately.

"Hi. Uhm, this is - "

"So, you are Harry's girlfriend?"

" _Nymphadora_ , behave yourself!"

" _Muuummm_! I just asked a question."

"That's Lisa. Lisa, these are my Aunt Andi, my Uncle Ted and my cousin Dora."

"So, girlfriend or a girl who is a friend?"

"Both," the Ravenclaw blurted out before she could think about it and blushed deeply.

"I like her!"

"You are not too old to be grounded, young Miss!"

" _Muuummm_! You can't ground me, I'm almost twenty-one!" Dora said and proceeded to pout while morphing herself into a picture of innocence. With comically big eyes and a bit of wandless magic to hold her pigtails together, she looked nothing like her usual self.

"No, but I can embarrass you. For example, have you told Harry about your grand romance with Ian Briggs?"

"No childhood stories, I'll behave myself."

"Is that normal?" Lisa asked in a whisper as the two witches bickered back and forth. Harry had to keep down a chuckle since that question came up a lot with the Tonks.

"For them it is. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Andromeda chose that moment to turn back to him and began to ask rapid-fire questions. "So, how are you feeling? How was your preparation? Are you ready?"

"I'm fine - "

"How can you say that after everything that had happened this month?" the Ravenclaw asked and the whole Tonks family turned towards him with worried looks.

"Haaarryyy?"

"It wasn't that bad. A couple of broken bones, Hermione has gotten really good at mending those in a minute, and a bludgeoning curse from behind. But that one didn't even crack a rib, so I really don't see - "

"Just how often were you attacked?" Edward wanted to know. His tone was calm, yet also had a not-so-hidden edge to it.

"I'm not sure. Maybe once or twice - "

"In total?"

"Uhm, per day."

"You were attacked ten times each week and you call that fine," his uncle repeated slowly and pinched his nose. "How many students were part of this?"

"Most of the Slytherins and the Hufflepuffs, although those were harmless. Leanne had an axe to grind with them, so she was actually happy to - "

"Stop switching the topic, Harry!"

"Uhm, yes Auntie," the Gryffindor replied meekly. The oldest of the Black sisters could be intimidating and he did not want to cross her if at all possible.

"So, who were the worst offenders?"

"The Hufflepuffs tried very often, but they always ran once one or two of them went down."

"And my former house?"

"Well, I avoided them most of the time - "

"Oh?" Andromeda said and Harry squirmed under her scrutinizing gaze.

"A few of them, Bletchley, the Carrows and the younger Greengrass, warned me that their house was trying to injure me so that I could not compete in the task and would lose my magic - "

"WHAT?"

"But how - "

"Why didn't the professors do anything?" Andromeda hissed with an expression which promised painful retribution. Oddly enough, it made Harry feel warm and happy.

"I couldn't prove anything. Moody told me to see it as practice for the tournament - "

"That sounds like him alright," Tonks chuckled but froze once she noticed the dark look her mother was shooting her.

"Flitwick doesn't care what we do as long as no one gets seriously hurt. Apparently, Goblin children resolve most of their conflicts with violence, and since he was raised that way - " Lisa trailed off and Harry was far too nervous to decide whether to be grateful for the support or still annoyed because she had gotten him into this mess in the first place.

"And the others?"

"The Hufflepuffs do what they want. Sprout has been moping ever since they threw Leanne out. Sinistra sleeps for most of the day, but she made sure nothing happened in her lessons. The elective teachers have no say outside of their classes. McGonagall doesn't care what happens to me as long as _I_ don't break any rules. The honour and reputation of Gryffindor or such shite."

"And Snape?" his uncle asked after a second. "I know that he gave Nimmy a hard time before Meda shut him up with a few wartime secrets, but shouldn't he be at least pretending to have changed after Dumbledore vouched for him in front of the entire Wizengamot."

"He would probably love to join his students in cursing me. He is his usual self, so mostly insults and taking points."

"Did he try to reign in his own students?"

"It's Snape."

"We'll see what I can do about him - " Andromeda mumbled to herself, apparently quiet enough so that no one heard her. She shook her head and turned back to Harry. His girlfriend looked rather uncomfortable in the middle of this discussion, but the iron grip he had on her hand made slipping away impossible. "So why did you not tell us? Nymphadora visited you three times and - "

"I could deal with it on my own. I had the cloak and the map, the kitchens were safe and most of my free time was for practice. It wasn't worse than when everyone thought I was the heir of Slytherin."

"Harry, it is my - our responsibility to ensure your wellbeing - "

"Honestly, it's fine and I'm used to it - "

"And that is the problem. You should not be used to being hounded by half of the school. And even though your teachers apparently do not care, we do. We do not want to see you hurt. Promise me that you will tell us if something like this happens again."

"Uhm - "

"Haaarrryyy - "

"Fine. I'll tell you when the school turns on me again. But that isn't due for another two years," he pointed out but was the only one who found that joke funny.

* * *

The champions tent was a confusing mess of canvas corridors and flaps which doubled as doors. There were all kinds of amenities in place, from a hot tub and what looked like a bar area up to private areas labelled for each champion. An infirmary and, oddly enough, a gym were next to the common room. All Champions were expected there at two in the afternoon, which left Harry with half an hour to spare.

The pair followed the signs labelled Potter and soon enough, they were in an almost empty compartment of the tent. A fluffy sofa stood in the centre, surrounded by bare walls which did not even attempt to hide the brown fabric. There were red shag carpets all over the floor and, for some reason, a small firepit near the entrance. Despite the flickering flames, the whole room felt callous and cold.

"I have come to like you," Lisa said with a forced smile which didn't reach her eyes. She tried to continue that thought but couldn't find the words. "Don't get hurt, alright? I don't - "

Her voice failed her again so the Ravenclaw simply opened her arms. Harry leaned into the embrace, desperate for something to anchor his thoughts, to keep them away from fire and dragons. Lisa was safe, the faint vanilla scent and the citrus note from her shampoo better than sulfur, flintstone and old canvas. Lost in the embrace, he didn't notice that they had company until a familiar voice called his name out from right next to them.

"You have to remember to keep a cool head - Dragon handlers are standing by if something goes wrong, so you should be safe - You can do this, you have the spells down. And if it gets too dangerous you can always quit the task - You just have to - " Hermione trailed off. With watery eyes, she stepped forward and hugged Harry from behind. Without words, Katie followed suit, as did Leanne, and soon he was in the centre of a pile of bodies, surrounded by his best friends. "Malfoy is taking bets on how quickly you will die. Please prove him wrong. I can't - "

Her voice broke and Katie put an arm around Hermione, who by now had teary eyes. "Now listen here, Harry is not going to die. We have a plan which is as safe as it can be. He is as ready as he ever will be. Besides, it would be a shitty end to die against a dragon after surviving Voldemort."

The joke was dark but nonetheless did a lot to brighten the mood of the group. Hermione shot the chaser a dark look but even she couldn't stop her lips from twitching upwards. The group stood there for another minute, no longer hugging but still huddled together, and talked in hushed tones. However, all good things had to come to an end, and in this case, they did so with a flash.

"Now this is an interesting situation," a blonde witch in a poison green outfit pointed out while an older wizard stood next to her, a camera around his neck. Harry vaguely remembered her from the wand weighting, although he could not match her face with a name. "A word perhaps, Harry? Were you about to confess your undying love in the face of looming death? And why have you been keeping your relationships secret? There is a good chance that you might - "

"Get lost Skeeter," a new voice called out and rarely he had been that grateful to see his cousin as in that moment.

"Stay out of matters which do not concern you, Miss - " the reporter replied acidly without even turning towards Tonks.

"Black."

"I see - You shouldn't stick your nose into - "

"I am an Auror and you are interfering with a Ministry-sponsored event, so unless you fancy an arrest - "

"The public has a right to know! You cannot censor the press!" Skeeter shouted out with very exaggerated and badly acted outrage, already flipping her notepad to the next page and ignoring the badge in Dora's hand. Granted, a black trenchcoat and green cargo pants were not part of the official uniform, but Tonks had agreed to a little overtime after Moody finished his tirade about the lacklustre security measures and the countless avenues open for anyone willing to cause trouble.

"Be that as it may, this is a restricted area for the champions - "

"So you will be sending these _girls_ away as well?"

"For the champions and their entourage. You are neither, so I kindly ask you to vacate the area and stop harassing the champions."

"Well, I've gotten what I came for," the reporter conceded smugly and strode away with eerie satisfaction, her photographer just one step behind.

"That was awesome Dora!"

"Thank you, Miss Tonks," Lisa added with less enthusiasm than her boyfriend.

"Five quid that the Prophet will be reporting on your harem tomorrow."

"That's a sucker bet if I ever saw one."

"Awww, you're no fun," Tonks pouted while Lisa looked rather shell-shocked at the entire situation and especially their banter.

* * *

Five minutes later, all hints of amusement were gone when Harry reached into the bag and was immediately bitten by dozens of sharp teeth. More out of reflex than conscious thought, he jerked his hand away and happened to wrap his fingers around something small and scaled on the way out. This was it, his opponent for the first task. Well, at least the model was content with curling up on his palm instead of snapping at everything within its reach. The silvery miniature-dragon seemed more interesting in a nap than anything else.

"Mr Potter draws the Swedish Short-Snout!"

After that, Harry didn't pay attention to the other champions, basking in the relief of avoiding whatever nasty beast Cedric held in his palm. He still had to take on a dragon, but at least for once he had not gotten the shitty end of the stick. Bagman droned on about the honour and excitement, but all the Gryffindor heard was that he had to steal a golden egg.

* * *

Far too soon for Harry's liking, it was time to go. Dora put a hand on his back, pulled him in a tight hug and kissed his forehead. But even over the pounding of his heart, her whispered parting words were not encouraging.

"Don't you dare to die."

As he got to the entrance, the cannon blast seemed oddly appropriate to open this madness. _Well, perhaps he could get his hands on that cannon and -_

Harry froze as soon as he stepped into a sudden cascade of noise. He was no stranger to loud crowds, but the cheers and whistles in the arena put every Quidditch match to shame. Then again, a good part of the spectators was probably rooting for the dragon. A dragon just waiting for his lunch to walk by. A dragon whom he couldn't even see yet.

He climbed up the nearest rock, peaked over its top and promptly froze again. The Short-Snout was roughly as long as the Basilisk down in the Chamber of Secrets, but while the King of Serpents had been slender and agile, the Swedish dragon was a lumbering mountain of silver scales, horns and foot-long fangs. Any vague thoughts about actually fighting the beast died right there, together with a good part of his hope for completing the task. Still, there was one obvious solution which would get him out of the mess instantly.

"Accio Golden Egg."

A hundred yards away, the egg did not even move an inch. Which meant that he had to get closer to the sixty-foot, fire-breathing lizard. _Joy!_

" _Potter casts his first spell! I'm not sure what he did, but he doesn't look too happy with the result."_

With the easy option not working, Harry began to carry out the plan his aunt had suggested. Only, instead of distracting the dragon with a cow, he had to resort to a different spell, one which Dora's had suggested after she had seen his attempt at transfiguration. The result had been a crime against nature, a cow which looked like it had been dropped from the Astronomy tower with gravel in between its intestines.

" _Potter fires a series of curses at the dragon and - He missed. It must be the nerves because a dragon isn't something you would call s - "_

Bagman's commentary was abruptly cut off by an explosion at the far end of the enclosure, followed by another two in rapid succession. And while England's former Quidditch hero was speechless, the Short-Snout did exactly what she should. With surprising agility, the towering beast spun around to face the new, louder threat.

" _Now that's what I call quick thinking. Potter uses blasting - blasting curses to distract his dragon. Look - look at that proficiency. He is capable of silent casting. I bet more than one bookmaker regrets the generous quotas they all offered against Potters survival."_

Harry moved slowly across the rocky terrain, always ducking behind larger formations to cast a volley of spells which also had a pleasant side effect. Bagman was startled each time a blasting curse detonated. He always interrupted himself with a squeak while the crowd watched in silence. And as entertaining as Bagman's embarrassment was, there were more pressing things right in front of Harry. One rock a time he moved forwards until the egg was more than just a speck of gold under the beast. While she had her back turned towards him, the Swedish dragon covered her nest with her tail. There were only a few moments when she was moving and exposed her eggs.

She was fanatically looking for the attacker and so Harry indulged her. He conjured a dozen snakes and banished them towards the other side of the arena, followed by a couple of blasting curses for good measure. Judging by the sickly crunch, the landing was not gentle, but it really didn't matter all too much since the Short-Snout immolated the general area, blanketing the rocks with Dragonfire until they were dimly glowing. _Really, what had the organisers been thinking when they came up with the first task?_

" _And Potter closes in, he is now at the edge of the clearing - While he has his dragon distracted, he still needs to get the egg! Now, what will the boy do next?"_

To Harry's surprise, the nest itself was in the centre of a metal plate, which also held the anchorage of the dragon's chains. He was still twenty yards away, but that was close enough for his purpose. The Gryffindor picked up a stone, applied a sticking charm and levitated it towards the Golden Egg.

Enraged, the Swedish dragon let out a scream and Harry could already see the spiked tail coming around to impale him. However, its fury seemed to be aimed at the one snakes which had managed to survive for more than five seconds and was promptly smeared into the ground.

" _He cowers behind a rock and tries some spell to - lob a pebble at the dragon? Ladies and Gentlemen, I can't tell if this is part of some brilliant strategy or if he has lost his nerves. I'm leaning to the latter because he is trying again and even misses the - NOW HOW ABOUT THAT? It looks like Potter used some kind of charm to get his egg - Excellent spellwork, but I thought that we had protections against that in place - It looks like this task just became A LOT MORE interesting!"_

The Short-Snout had noticed that something with her nest was amiss and spun around, ignoring the blasting curses sailing past her. There was a moment of hushed silence before she roared thunderously, which shook Harry to the bones. She looked around the arena for a moment before amber eyes locked on him, frozen between two boulders with the fake egg under his arm.

He dove for the nearest crater and the Short-Snout tried to follow. She launched herself at Harry and, with a sharp bang, one of the chains holding her in place snapped. The audience shrieked in surprise as the dragon was spun to her left and crashed into a pillar of stones, which collapsed from the impact. Shaking herself free from the rubble, the Swedish beast lunged at the Gryffindor, but when the remaining bond held, she was violently jerked around and pivoted to the side again. Seeing that she couldn't reach her prey, the dragon sent a burst of flames at Harry, who ducked once more.

The heat was unbearable, even ten feet below the torrent of flames, and he was trying to come up with anything to get back to safety. He could try to injure the dragon, but the chances of actually succeeding looked grim. It had easily three times the mass of the Basilisk, there was no sword nearby and trying to ram one through the beast's mouth would result in being roasted.

 _Well, perhaps a curse straight down its throat - No, that still had the same, fiery issue. Trying to dig a tunnel to escape? But with which spell? Perhaps -_

Harry's thoughts were interrupted by another burst of flames, this time coming from the left and he had to dive backwards over the parapet of his hideout. With a groan, he landed hard on the rough ground, scrambled for cover and ended up behind another stone, the dragon between him and the exit.

" _Now that is an interesting situation. Potter has the egg, but he has to get around the dragon he avoided earlier. He doesn't look like he has another idea up his sleeve and now he just stands there."_

In fact, Harry's mind was racing to come up with a way out, each more ridiculous than the one before. He couldn't summon a rocket launcher, his spells were ineffective unless he scored a very lucky hit, Gryffindor's sword was nowhere to be found, and neither was the Weasleys' flying Ford Anglia. Still, he had to do something.

With desperate bravery, Harry peaked back up and threw a volley of curses at his opponent. Each of the turquoise spells connected with a blinding flash and a loud bang. But other than that, there was no effect. Three charred spots showed exactly where the Short-Snout had been hit, but not even its scales were damaged. On top of that, she didn't look like she liked the curses thrown at her nose and responded with another blast of flames.

When her prey refused to die once more, her ire shifted to the restraint which held her in place. If not for the steel around her leg, the human would be dead already. She bathed the whole chain in fire, which gave Harry the opening he had been waiting for.

" _Potter makes a dash for it, but he is going in the wrong direction. Although admittedly, I would get lost down there as well - Look at those flames."_

Crossing two hundred yards would be an easy task. Doing so across rocky terrain riddled with holes, gorges and razor-sharp edges was challenging, yet certainly possible. But running over such ground with a drawn wand, a twenty-pound egg under the other arm and a beast trying to roast you turned out to be closer to stumbling and falling forwards.

As he slid over a ridgeline, Harry was safe from the dragon for the first time. With one of the chains broken, the Short-Snout had a lot more freedom to move, which meant that he had to get around her in a larger arc. And since no handler stepped in, that only left creeping along next to the stands.

" _Come on, where is the fun in that? Potter sticks to the outer wall and - Hold on, he can't do that!"_

Paying no attention to the commentary, he ducked through a small opening in the wall and away from the battleground. It was either wherever it led or trying to sneak around the dragon and therefore not even a question. Unless the arena was built literally on top of a Basilisk lair, it couldn't get any worse.

Harry was pleasantly surprised when the only thing down there were the wooden beams which held up the stands. No hidden dangers or lurking monsters For the first time since the start of the challenge, Harry could take a deep breath and think about the task ahead without a monstrous beast looming over him. His hands and one knee were scraped, blood caked together with dust, dirt and shards of gravel. Yet this was nothing which couldn't be healed with a little restorative salve.

It was slightly unnerving to hear the audience through the planks and benches, their voices unintelligible and yet growing in volume, buzzing like a swarm of hornets. Wasting no more time, Harry simply followed the foundation of the battleground in the dim light beneath and it took perhaps a minute before he stood in front of a wooden wall. There was no telling if the champion's tent was on the other side, but a stairway to the arena was the only way forwards.

" _\- can't see him, Senior Auror Moody tells me that Potter is still somewhere under us and has not run away. It might - THERE he is. Oh, apparently the dragon has missed him as well."_

The fourth champion needed a second to get his bearings straight, a second which the Short-Snout used to leap across a ravine with more grace than a towering beast should have and towards him. Her first torrent of fire went high, then her prey was behind a ridge once more.

With a dragon charging at him, there was only one choice. Harry threw caution to the wind and made a mad dash for the exit. There was no planning, just the primal instinct which has kept mankind alive for millennia, kept them alive before they had made their way to the top of the food chain. As he made the leap to the safety of the entrance tunnel, countless alternative scenarios played out in Harry's head. He could have used a broom to get in and out within seconds. He could have summoned his invisibility cloak and walked right up to the egg. He could have quit the task after putting forth a token effort. He could have simply tasked the snake with retrieving the egg while he kept the dragon distracted instead of using them as bait. It would have been so much easier, so much safer to -

"Please step through to the medical tent. You will receive your score after all contestants have completed the task," a short Auror with a bushy beard said and pointed at a flap to their right as the dragon handlers began to subdue their charge.

* * *

After a short check by the healer, a generous application of something that looked like iodine but reeked like stale beer, and a few healing charms, Harry was left alone in the makeshift infirmary and could only listen to Bagman's commentary. This wasn't something important like the Basilisk or Quirrel and the stone. This was merely a competition to amuse the people who had spent the past weeks trying to curse him. And for what? Staring at the golden egg, he wondered if the world had gone mad while the Beauxbaton champion tried to get her prize.

Fleur appeared to do alright, although she needed several tries to put her dragon to sleep and found out that snores can come with bursts of fire. As she entered the Medical Tent, Pomfrey rushed to her side only to be dismissed. The French champion didn't seem worse for wear even though her uniform was reduced to a few black patches clinging to her unmarred skin.

She glanced over at Harry before she tore the burnt clothes off and transfigured herself a bathrobe. Fleur had not even bothered to acknowledge his presence in any form, and the free show none withstanding, it was a clear show of power and disdain. Only when Pomfrey had pulled all curtains shut, the Gryffindor realised that he had been staring rather shamelessly, but it took a cannon blast to drive the image of her perky tits and pert arse from his mind.

There was some metal screeching and then a new dragon made its displeasure known. It already sounded annoyed and her opponent was not even there yet.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen, here comes Viktor Krum. Look at that confidence as he steps into the arena. Not even a single twitch when he saw his opponent, as if it was the French during the last World Cup. He casts his first spell - "_

Whatever else the former Beater was saying was drowned out by a thunderous roar. The Chinese dragon howled in pain and judging by the sounds coming through the canvas walls, the Fireball was living up to her name. This went on for several minutes, which at least meant that Krum was still alive. Only when the apparatus moved the enraged beast back under the arena, Harry could hear Bagman again.

" _\- long fight and a costly victory. Even though Krum managed to complete his task, the destruction of the other eggs will mean a hefty penalty. So far I would say Potter in front of Delacour while Krum is far away from both, but we will see what the other judges say. Krum certainly isn't satisfied, he is arguing with the handlers as Fireball is replaced by a Hungarian Horntail. With one of the most aggressive dragons in the arena, we are in for a treat. "_

This time, the cannon blast was almost inaudible over the noise the winged beast was making. The spectators did their best to drown out both and Harry couldn't help but notice that they sounded a lot more supportive than when he had been out there.

" _My, my, that Horntail surely is an angry one. Perhaps it can smell what happened to her predecessor and its brood. Or maybe it didn't have her coffee this morning - Looks like fate lit the kettle under Mister Diggory and now he has to deal with it."_

Over the constant cheers it was difficult to figure out what exactly Cedric was doing, but by the sound of it, he managed to placate his dragon.

" _\- Creative solution - Looks like it is enjoying the meal - And here he goes!"_

The crowd went wild and once again drowned out Bagman, their frenzy reaching new levels until he tweaked his amplifying charm.

" _What a show of daring from the Hogwarts champion! He is danger-close but grabs the egg. The Horntail noticed him and lives up to its name!"_

Harry jumped when the sound of shattering rocks suddenly filled the air, together with another furious roar.

" _It takes a swing with its claws but misses. Diggory really needs to get out of there, and here comes the tail aga - "_

Bagman's jovial tone was cut short by a dull impact, followed horrified screams from the audience. Despite multiple canvas walls, Harry had a decent idea of what had happened even before shouts for the healers echoed through the now deadly quiet arena, the apparently Horntail satisfied with her work.

* * *

 **AN:**

I have a feeling that this is going to be a little controversial.

As you might have realised by now, I'm not a fan of piling misery onto the main characters just for the sake of doing so. There's a fine line between getting a shitty hand and accidental comedy, but most fanfics seem to blast right through it and into abstract hilarity without even realising it. That being said, the second task will be a lot tenser since I get to play around with whatever lurks in the lake, not just a single monster in an arena.

And before anyone complains about the lack of a flying scene, do you really think a parent, adoptive or otherwise, would recommend their child to outfly a winged, fire-spitting creature on a wooden broom with twigs strapped to its end?

Lastly, what do you think about the narrative style with the heavy emphasis on the commentary?


	18. Pushed too far

Quite often in recent days, Andromeda Tonks felt like cursing her cousin. Her life used to be simpler before Sirius had made her head of their family. It had been easier when her biggest worry had been Nymphadora's safety. A metamorph was, after all, an attractive prize to many unsavoury people, yet she could and had dealt with those.

But now she had to deal with the Wizengamot, two department heads with grudges and a deluge of marriage offers for both her daughter and Harry. She burned each and every one of them with great pleasure and Fiendfyre, no matter how disproportionate that might have been. A childish part of her brain vehemently claimed that after losing two sisters to that blasted tradition, summoning hellfire was a perfectly justified response to further contracts.

At the moment, however, marriage offers were the last thing on her mind. Harry has been ostracised at Hogwarts and the teachers did nothing. Flitwick and Mad-Eye used the old approach of letting the students sort out issues on their own, even if that made for some rather one-sided fights. Then again, that was what her Hogwarts time had been like. Bella and her against the entire school.

Still, something needed to be done. Harry shouldn't have to fight half of the student body with a few friends. His time there should be better than hers. The girls might be decent with a wand, but they were not Bella, they didn't have the same disregard for their victims. They were unwilling to take things far enough.

Andromeda could make an example out of Greengrass and Parkinson, but that would achieve very little. The other Slytherins would cower in fear for a week or two before they went back to harassing Harry. Even putting one of the lot into St Mungo's permanent spell damage ward wouldn't do much, Bella and she had already tried that with Julius McNair after he had tried to take certain liberties with Cissy.

In a sudden wave of clarity, Andromeda realised exactly what needed to happen. The only way to slay this particular dragon was to chop off its head, and she had everything she needed on hand. Magical Britain might be shocked with the death of that Diggory kid, but there were plans to be made. It was time to make good on an old threat, grab her official robes and make a few Floo calls.

* * *

The next day, a witch with a bunch of badly applied glamour charms entered the office of the Daily Prophet and asked for a word with the editor.

* * *

The anticipated article on his harem was pushed back to page twelve, which was perfectly fine by Harry. The twins asked him for pointers, but other than that, not a lot of people had read past the articles dedicated to the First Task, although the first three participants got less attention than the spike driven through Diggory's guts.

Classes were cancelled for a week and even Malfoy was sullenly sulking. While the press dragged the organisers through the mud, councillors from the Auror Corp took care of the students and while far from normality, by the end of the week it had become rare to see people burst out into tears.

Even Harry had felt uneasy after Hermione's detailed breakdown of the incident, although that was more due to the realisation that it could have been him than any affection towards the late champion. He had gotten through the task fairly unscathed all things considered, but he didn't have to go up against the worst of the nesting mothers. And even then it had been a little too close since his plan had relied on the dragon falling for the distraction.

The only one who seemed unshaken, if not even happy, was Leanne Rivers. Harry didn't particularly care about Cedric, but his friend seemed to ravel in her former housemates' misery. Then again, they had voted her out of Hufflepuff, an act unprecedented in living memory, so a little schadenfreude was understandable.

Perhaps the one good thing from this entire mess was the sacking of Madam Pomfrey by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for _gross negligence which had led to the Death of Cedric Diggory_. Apparently, a reporter had noticed that she no longer held a licence and she was, therefore, turned into the convenient scapegoat, even if there was nothing she could have done to save the Hufflepuff Champion after a foot-wide spike had been punched straight through his torso. And the less said about what the Horntail had done to dislodge Diggory's body from her tail the better. Or the flames which had followed.

It left a bit of a sour taste in Harry's mouth that Pomfrey was dismissed over something she had no effect over instead of an actual failing, but at least she was gone. With no clear replacement, St Mungo's picked up the slack and sent healers over who spent most of their shifts catching up with paperwork.

* * *

Another week had passed and the initial tide of emotions and outrage ebbed away. It was replaced by a more subliminal sense of grief by his friends and sadness by those who knew Diggory but had not been particularly close. Meanwhile, the Daily Prophet was happy to drag everyone involved through the mud and even ran a speculative article that Igor Karkaroff had someone used dark magic from his Death Eater days to make the dragon more aggressive. Other than Fudge, the paper took potshots at pretty much everyone who, with some fantasy, could be blamed for the affair.

Therefore, the Daily Prophet turned from a mediocre newspaper to a highly anticipated delivery each morning as the students soaked up any and all information on the culprits behind Cedric's death. But on this day, the Prophet upped its ante even further.

After a glance at the headline, Harry did a double take before his eyes jerked upwards to the teacher's desk to check up on his oldest friend. However, despite the inflammatory headline, Hagrid did not look overly concerned. The same could not be said about the Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, however.

 **DUMBLEDORE'S GIANT MISTAKE**

 _ **Was he blackmailed?**_

 _Last week has been ripe with revelations about Hogwarts and there is plenty of blame to go around. The Board of Governors has abused their position to misappropriate school funds into their own pockets. The school's healer had lost her licence due to severe malpractice and no replacement had been found. The students even embarrassed our nation in the eyes of their guests. And earlier this year, the headmaster broke with centuries of tradition, most likely for his own amusement._

 _To add insult to injury, the average grades have been steadily slipping for the last twenty years. It seems as if our esteemed school cannot catch a break, but what this reporter uncovered might be the worst failure so far._

 _After the War with You-Know-Whom, several Death Eaters had tried to have their sentences reduced by selling out their comrades. And one name came up again and again. But unlike his fellows, Severus Snape was never properly investigated. Our Chief Warlock repeatedly addressed the Wizengamot and argued in favour of Snape, claiming that the man had provided him with important intelligence which had helped to win the war. Yet this reporter cannot help but wonder what kind of vital role Snape could have played when the Potters were solely responsible for You-Know-Who's downfall and, unlike the Longbottoms and McKinnons, the turncoat Death Eater did neither fight nor bleed for us. At this point, you may wonder how a thirteen-year-old matter of criminal justice concerns Hogwarts?_

 _The answer is quite simple. Albus Dumbledore not only got Severus Snape off the hook, but he also gave him a job at our premier magical school where the former Death Eater took a high ranking position and was entrusted with guiding our children in their education. With him teaching a core subject, our children's future depends on a man who, at one point, did his best to ensure that they had none. And compared to his predecessor, he seems to be failing that task quite badly. The number of NEWT graduates who finished a potion course is only a fragment compared to Professor Slughorn's times. And from those who manage to finish Snape's course, many have ties to the very same group he had been a member of. While having favourites is not a crime, and usually not even worth mentioning in the Daily Prophet, this reporter cannot help to wonder if this isn't a case of old loyalties shining through._

 _Many students who benefit from the preferential treatment are related to the Death Eaters who are currently locked up in Azkaban for their crimes or to those whose innocence was never proven. Why has no one noticed what this reporter could look up in half an hour?_

 _Sadly, it gets even worse. This reporter was given several memories which show how Severus Snape belittles and mocks the children of War Heroes, witches and wizards who forfeited their lives to save us all. Recipients of the Order of Merlin are insulted by a man who fought on the opposite side. Snape repeatedly insisted that the Longbottoms, whose heroic last stand cost them their sanity, were incapable of having magical offspring. Their son is ridiculed regularly and was recently forced to feed a badly brewed potion to his familiar. And according to several students, the Boy-Who-Lived has been forced to endure taunts ever since his first Potion lesson. Is this how we thank those who fought and bled for us? Letting their children be mocked by the wizard who took up wands to oppress us?_

 _Therefore, this reporter cannot help but wonder why the Chief Warlock would tolerate such behaviour from a man who, going by what is public record, should be housed in a small cell above the North Sea? Is there perchance a dark secret that Mister Snape has come across and threatened to expose it unless Dumbledore helped him to stay out of Azkaban? Why were his academic failures not rectified? Has the Defeater of Grindelwald grown so weary of conflict that he can't enforce standards among his own staff? Or is there perhaps a darker reason, an unspeakable secret Snape holds over him?_

 _According to our Chief Warlock, he was personally provided with crucial information which undoubtedly proved that Severus Snape did defect. But what kind of information would be worth overlooking his earlier crimes, his current failings? How many lives were saved due to it? There has been just one hearing and its protocol is so classified that it was impossible to prove more than its existence._

 _Perhaps most astounding in this mess is the fact that there is more than one alternative. Several members of the Wizengamot led by Lady Black and Lord Ogden have pointed out that Horace Slughorn is available to teach just as he had been for decades before Snape's employment. Potion Master Slughorn was unavailable for an interview but wrote a statement in which he says that he would consider returning if given his old contract._

 _However, the state of affairs isn't so bleak that there are no other candidates. One Miss Lewis even suggested the Lady Black herself for the posting, although she declined with reference to Horace Slughorn. Valerie Jones, mother of Holyhead Beater-Legend Gwenog Jones as well as Steven McNair and Linda Finnigan were some names which also came up in regards to a suitable replacement..._

The article went over all kinds of possible replacements for Snape, going as far as a proposal to poach Beauxbaton's Potion Mistress. Andi had mentioned a surprise in her last letter, but to have Snape dragged through the mud in front of every witch or wizard who had subscribed to the Daily Prophet had to be the second best thing the Tonks did for him, other than taking him in of course. However, the warm feeling in his stomach quickly died once he saw the next article. Further down the front page, the aftermath of the First Task showed its ugly side once more.

 **No Hogwarts Memorial for dead Champion - Wizengamot rules in favour of parents**

That piece went over the dispute the Diggorys had with Hogwarts as they didn't want their son buried where he had died, nor give the school the opportunity to use the funeral to make themselves look better or caring. The Wizengamot agreed with the parents and even went as far as banning Dumbledore from any kind of eulogy at Hogwarts, shifting the blame away from themselves.

"Looks like you might be getting your wish Lea," Katie pointed out with a nudge to the photograph of Snape in chains as he had been lead to his hearing and her friend's wide grin said more than a thousand words.

"Let's just hope that the replacement will be better and not just Snape with his hair dyed pink and two oranges in a bra."

The two Gryffindors stared at their friend for a second before they burst out laughing, swiftly followed by everyone else close enough to hear the joke.

* * *

While the castle was buzzing with rumours about what would happen with Snape, Harry was facing a very different challenge. He wasn't interested in the Weasley twins' betting pool or talking shop about Potioncraft, which became more and more popular as Snape's dismissal appeared near. Lisa's birthday was also around the corner, and with everything else going on, he had forgotten to get a present in advance.

Dora had given him a wealth of advice when it came to girls, but only one of them, _Rings ask for misunderstandings_ , seemed useful. And even that just told him what he should not buy. Which, in turn, did not translate into gift ideas.

In the end, the answer to his question was pretty simple. Instead of some grand gift priced in the thousands of pounds, he'd simply sneak her away to her favourite place in Hogsmeade and spent an evening there. He'd have to talk to the owner of course, and maybe something else would catch his eye along the way. With this plan in mind, Harry snuck out of the castle to make the necessary preparations.

* * *

However, on the very next day, his Head of House threw a wrench into everything by announcing a special ball which would be hosted on the day of the Winter Solstice. Which, on its own, wouldn't be too bad. He wasn't particularly keen on dancing, but dancing would mean that his girlfriend would be on his arms and he enjoyed time spent with Lisa. Yet things rarely went well for him.

"Mister Potter, please stay behind," she requested as the other students were leaving the room.

"Yes Professor McGonagall?"

"As you know, the Triwizard Tournament is an event where the premier magical school try to show their best side. With Mister Diggory - ehm - "

"Impaled? Dead?"

"Mister Potter, you ought to show some respect for your fellow champions!" the Scottish professor bristled and shot a glare at her student. "As I was saying, with Mister Diggory _indisposed_ , you are the one, the only one, who will be representing all of Hogwarts. Therefore your best behaviour is expected. You will be opening the ball with a date. You are furthermore expected to dance, therefore ensure that you are capable of doing so. You are expected to, at the very least, match the other champions - "

"You know that I didn't enter in the Tournament, even Professor Dumbledore - "

"It does not matter how you ended up participating, you are now the representative of this school, of the entire nation. The Ministry has already sent me four letters emphasising that point. As Head of Gryffindor, I am holding all of my lions to a higher standard, and you will be under even more scrutiny. Am I clear?"

"So you didn't forget that I was your student then."

"Of course not, why would you even think that?"

"Let's see, perhaps because you didn't do as much as lift a finger when I had to fend off half the school - "

"Such situations are to be expected around the tournament. Being Champion is a unique opportunity to distinguish oneself, one many of the students have hoped for."

Harry didn't even try to hide his contemptuous snort at that. "Yes, it's a great honour to see your friend almost killed while you decide to lecture the one person who actually helped."

"Mister Potter, the way Professor Moody acted was completely inappropriate."

"And Malfoy was the paragon of chivalry when he tried to kill Hermione?"

"Mister Malfoy was disciplined by his Head of House, who was very disappointed - "

"Disappointed that he missed more likely. Surely you have read the recent revelations in the Prophet - "

"Enough of this. You will open the Ball and you will do so whilst on your best behaviour. Am I clear Mister Potter?"

"Yes, _Professor_!" Harry replied, although his voice was remarkably close to a hissing snake. It was obvious that his head of house considered the matter closed and no amount of words would change her mind. No matter how wrong or stupid. Of course, she hadn't been there when he could have used help, when it had been a few friends and him against most of the school. Not this year, not when he was the Heir of Slytherin or was caught helping a teacher to stay out of prison. But now he was suddenly the most important student, the one all teachers would be watching. They would be out for blood, looking for the smallest mistake - undoubtedly with Snape leading the charge. And just as always, McGonagall would stand there and do nothing other than scolding him if he fought back.

 _He wanted to shout at her, make her listen, shake some sense into her, grab a…_

Shaking his head, Harry forced those thoughts down as quickly as they appeared. She wouldn't budge, even if he was to throw a tantrum. Without uttering a single word, he turned away and strode out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him.

"What did Professor - Harry, Harry are you alright?" Hermione wanted to know as soon as she noticed the state her friend was in.

"Yes, no, I don't know - "

"What happened?"

"McGonagall told me that I'm suddenly Hogwarts' poster boy again and that I should be on my best behaviour. Nevermind that at least half the school wanted me dead before the task," Harry ranted without slowing down. With a vague goal in mind, his feet carried him towards a destination while the matching plan was slowly coming together. "I'm thinking - I'm probably about to do something stupid - "

"I'm coming with you!"

"You don't even know what I'm going to do."

"No, but neither do you. Not that it matters anyway, what's the worst you can do, overthrow Fudge?"

"You know, that's actually a good idea. How would you do it?"

"A bomb. I bet that most people at the Ministry don't even know what a bomb is, much less how you'd find one. Radiation poisoning should do as well for the same reasons, but that can get messy very quickly - "

"Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione began but her serious facade broke before she could even finish the sentence. "You only realise this now?"

"Forgive me, Dark Lady Granger!" her friend replied with a mock bow. "Your Darkness, I wouldn't dare to challenge your evil prowess."

" _Good!"_

"You know, not that I am complaining, but why are you so determined to come with me?" Harry asked while he pulled a tapestry to the side and slipped into the secret passage behind it.

"I - I haven't been a good friend last year, and I'll be damned if I do the same mistake again - "

"I wasn't much of a friend last year either. Especially after I found out about Sirius and Pettigrew - " he admitted but was in turn caught off by the brunette.

"I can't fault you for that. Such a revelation - "

"Can we agree that we've both been arseholes and call it a day? This mushy talk is embarrassing," Harry mumbled and received a slap on his arm in return.

"I hope for your own sake that you treat Lisa better than this."

"I wouldn't - What - I don't -"

"Mushy talk is important in a relationship because it - "

He was saved from further sputtering by the wooden door he had been aiming for. They were called inside almost immediately and only then Hermione recognised whose office they had entered.

"Hello, Professor."

"Hi Harry - oh, hello Hermione. I take that this isn't about your homework then?"

"No - "

"Then take a seat. Tea?"

"Yes, please," Hermione replied and Harry used the short pause to gather his thoughts while the blonde teacher rummaged through a closet until she found a pair of cups.

"Professor Clearwater? Is it possible to leave Gryffindor and have you as a mentor like Leanne does?"

"I - What?" the young teacher asked and almost knocked over the kettle.

"You became Leanne's mentor after she was kicked out of Hufflepuff. Can you do the same for me?"

"In theory, yes, but why would you want that? You haven't been kicked out, have you?"

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something, but chose to stay silent for the moment, curious what her friend would say. Instead, she sank back into her armchair and tilted her head to the side, her attention firmly Harry.

"When we first came to Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall told us that our House would be our family here. But Professor McGonagall never acted as if she cared - "

"She does not have a good track record. She didn't believe us about the Philosopher's Stone - "

"THE what?"

"The Philosopher's Stone which was hidden in the Third Floor corridor," Hermione replied evenly as if she was discussing the weather.

"How about you start at the beginning. Why do you think that you have to leave Gryffindor?" Penelope wanted to know and so the two friends launched into a retelling of the dangers they had been through during their time at Hogwarts. They went through two pots of tea and a plate of chocolate biscuits and custard creams and on the outside, the sun sank behind the barren mountains to the West of Hogwarts. The professor was familiar with the basilisk but had no idea that Harry had killed it, much less with a sword. However, the other _adventures_ were news to her and by the end, she was solidly convinced that her fellow teacher was utterly unsuited for her duties as Head of House.

"If you are really sure about this, then I will gladly be your mentor as defined in the Hogwarts charter. But keep in mind that this is not something which can be undone. Once you have renounced Gryffindor, you will not be able to rejoin them. Well, unless for some reason I'm made Head of Gryffindor before you graduate, something I don't see happening under any plausible - "

"I am sure Professor, otherwise I wouldn't be here," Harry cut off her nervous prattling.

"Then welcome to House Clearwater, current population 3," Penelope chuckled but noticed that Harry and Hermione were giving her a confused look. "That was a joke, luckily there's no house with my name. Although I'll have to prepare new rooms. You know that Leanne currently has one of the old teacher's quarters, but that won't do any longer because you are famous and people look a lot more at you than at Miss Rivers and cry about unjust priveledges because clearly, this is the moral of your decision to leave Gryffindor behind."

"Professor Clearwater?" Hermione asked, wringing her hands restlessly. "Could you become my mentor as well?"

* * *

 **AN:**

I hope that this will appease those of you who were fed up with Harry's inaction as well as the lack of retaliation towards those who attacked him. Leaving Gryffindor due to McGonagall around the Yule Ball was one of the first things I envisioned for this fic and the reason I put so much emphasis on Penelope despite her teaching an honesty irrelevant subject. And the narrative reason why Leanne got booted out. I hope this does not feel too forced or random.

The Prophet is pretty aggressive about Snape's Death Eater business since Voldemort is believed to be gone for good and they are using it to attack Dumbledore. Don't worry, they still don't have any integrity beyond gold in the bank.

Also, keep in mind that the bit about McGonagall is not objective but from Harry's point of view. This is not one of those "The Teachers are Evil incarnated" stories where every girl drops on her knees since Harry's _magical core_ is simply enormous (just like the list of his Lordships). Some of the points he raised are valid, some are not. At the same time, I'm not going to whitewash the canon behaviour of any adult for the sake of a positive depiction, something which puts the Hogwarts staff and the Weasleys in a bad light because Rowling couldn't make them competent/useful, otherwise, it'd have been a very short book.


	19. December

"You know, for someone who doesn't want to stand out, you are remarkably good at it."

"The curse of being me," Harry chuckled bitterly. To say that he had been nervous about meeting Lisa would have been a massive understatement. There weren't many people left about whose opinion he still cared, but his girlfriend was one of them. However, her teasing tone did wonders to put him at ease.

"What is this about anyway? If I listen to the rumour mill, you either had an affair with McGonagall or duelled her."

"What?" Harry shouted in disbelief, his voice echoing through the empty corridor outside the library. "McGonagall? But she is at least - _Ewww_!"

"My thoughts exactly. And Parkinson had a different story. She said that you knocked Hermione up and had to be separated from her. Should I be worried?"

Harry tensed for a moment but could find no accusation in his girlfriend's tone. She sounded amused if nothing else. "Now you're having me on."

"Well, her words were _'was seduced by the Mudblood who tried to steal the Potter name'_ , but Morag was kind enough to translate for me."

"I see," Harry began sarcastically. "I guess I'll have to tell Hermione that she's pregnant. Does her immaculate conception make me God?"

"That's it, we cracked the code. Parkinson was trying to flirt with you around three corners," she chuckled while Harry mock-gagged. "Allow me to introduce myself, Lisa Turpin, professional codebreaker at Bletchley Park and about to crack the enigma encryption."

"Well, Miss Spymaster, I hope you realise that Parkinson will be after you once everyone realises that we are an item - honestly, I have no idea how no one has noticed _us_ yet."

"I think everyone is convinced that you are going to get together with Katie, Hermione or maybe Leanne, so they don't look too closely at me."

"Yes, Harry's partner from Muggle Studies. Look at how _studious_ those two are. That new teacher must be a cruel taskmaster. Five points to Ravenclaw," he replied and pulled her close for a kiss.

"Well, it's not as if you can earn points anymore - " Lisa laughed as Harry ran a hand through her hair. "But honestly, why did you leave Gryffindor?"

And so her boyfriend told her what had happened the other day - how he had spent the night in an enchanted tent Professor Clearwater had dug up in an abandoned storage room and how Katie had joined them simply so that she could room with Leanne. "Looking back it might not have been the smartest choice. I wanted to stick it to McGonagall but I might have gone _just a tad_ overboard."

"But only a little - do you have any idea what you've sparked?"

"N - No - " Harry replied slowly because, for the first time, Lisa's tone was sharp. "I spent yesterday evening with the paperwork and there are no classes on Saturdays, so we slept in and had breakfast from the kitchens."

"Ever since your little stunt almost a score of students followed your example and ditched their Houses," Lisa explained, sounding exasperated.

"What?"

"Two from Ravenclaw, at least half a dozen from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor each and God only knows how many Slytherins."

"What?" Harry asked once more.

"Davis because he talks about nothing else than Runes, so he went to Professor Babbling for tutelage. I mean, I like Runes, but there's no benefit from having her as head of your own little house. And the Lovegood girl - "

"Lovegood girl? Does she live up to her name?"

"Actually yes, but not in the way you'd think. You know the blonde with the big blue eyes from the year beneath us?"

"Yes - " Harry replied slowly as he tried to think of everything he knew about the girl in question. Which turned out to be nothing at all. Which, in turn, made him realise that the only younger students he had spent any time with were Colin, Demelza and Dennis, and even that had been a recent development after they had seen Katie's Monopoly game and asked to join.

"That's her. Well, she is called Luna, and she went to Professor Sinistra - "

"You're joking, right? Luna and the Astronomy - "

"No, I swear that she left. Apparently her roommates were treating her badly and since Flitwick didn't notice, she went to Sinistra," Lisa said with a downcast expression. "I didn't notice anything either. I don't know what happened, but it had to be bad because Luna chose to leave, and from what little I talked to her before, she seemed proud to be in Ravenclaw."

"What about the others?" Harry asked in the hope of stopping her sulk in its tracks.

"From what I've heard over breakfast, the Hufflepuffs who left couldn't stand the mourning and grief for Diggory anymore. Padma didn't say if they were annoyed or grieving themselves though. And from Slytherins, the older Bulstrode, the Carrows and two of their Quidditch players wanted to leave, but Dumbledore stepped in and placated them while he is sorting out Snape with the Board of Governors.

"Oh joy, I don't even want to think what Snape will say about me the next time he sees me."

 _"What a surprise Potter, your enormous head somehow fit through the doors of this classroom as you have decided to grace us with your sacred presence. Let us note this miraculous event in our calendars,"_ Lisa said in a horrible imitation which made Harry laugh nonetheless.

"The only day Snape would mark in his calendar is the one when he got me expelled. At least I won't have to endure his arbitrary detentions anymore."

"Well, by the looks of it your aunt got him expelled," Lisa pointed out but Harry clasped his hand across her mouth before she could say anything more.

"He isn't gone yet, don't jinx it!"

In retaliation, Lisa licked his palm. However, she didn't bring Snape's likely dismissal up anymore.

* * *

"It has been brought to my attention that your previous Head of House has been inadequate. Which is why you have asked _me_ , Penelope Clearwater, the only person to accidentally apply to Hogwarts in living memory, to remedy that," the blonde teacher said in a passable imitation of Lockhart. "In all honesty, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I got along with Flitwick just fine and he left us to our own devices. But I also get the feeling that your Hogwarts experience has been a little _different_ \- "

"It's mostly Harry," Leanne said, with mock venom. "Before he started hanging out with us, all we had to worry about were my sleepovers in Katie's _dorm_."

"Oi, I'm right here - " Harry began, defensively, before being cut off.

"Leanne has a point, you know. My time at Hogwarts was perfectly normal without you. Then it quickly turned into three-headed dogs, Professors trying to murder you, torching Snape and stopping Voldemort," Hermione threw in and Harry shot her a dark look for backstabbing him. "And that was just First year!"

"I happened to be mixed up in one of those adventures - make it two now - and I have to ask: How do you manage to end up in every bit of trouble that goes down at Hogwarts?" Penelope joked, but Harry stubbornly refused to answer. "Anyway, I had a chat with Professor Dumbledore and he said that this mentoring business used to be a lot more common when he was a student here, albeit with less animosity while parting and after what became the OWLs back when apprenticeships were more common."

"So what happens next?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Not much, really. I will have to talk to the elves so that they will create permanent rooms for each of you. Your schedules will stay the same, Leanne, you keep Katie's. Katie, you even keep your badge as there is no other girl in your year whom McGonagall can give it to."

"So all that changed is where we sleep? I was expecting, well, more."

"Yes," Professor Clearwater replied to Hermione's question. "The only thing Dumbledore imposed on all teachers now mentoring is that we must spend a couple of hours each week with our charges to _watch over their development_. I'm pretty sure that normally we can play cards or some board game. I can grade homework here while you do your own or even revise when your exams are near, but I have prepared something else for today. Put on something casual and grab a pair of gloves, you are going for a fly."

Three heads turned towards Hermione. "Hey!" she cried indignantly, taking a step backwards as she crossed her arms. "Don't look at me like that, I am perfectly fine on a broom. It is whatever you are doing on it which drives me mad with worry."

"Perfectly fine? You sure about that?"

"A broom is a tool to get from point A to point B. Loops, corkscrews and two hundred feet dives are not involved there."

* * *

After hosting the First Task, the Quidditch pitch had been restored to its original form. The stands were back in their oval shape, the goal hoops were at both ends of the field and even the chalk markings on the grass were where they used to be. However, at the very moment, it was looking very different once more. Floating all over the pitch were banners, rings and pillars. It took Harry only a second to figure out that he was looking at a racecourse of some sorts.

"For the sake of fairness, you will all be using the new school brooms," Professor Clearwater announced as she walked to a nearby crate.

"There are new brooms?" Hermione suddenly perked up, vividly remembering the nightmarish flying devices from their flying lessons. And no one from their year would forget Neville's ride as the charms on his broom went haywire.

"Comet decided to donate an entire set of 355s to Hogwarts. I'm sure Harry's aunt had her hands in there somehow and that some bean counter has concluded that it would be a good advertisement, but, in the end, that doesn't matter," the young professor explained cheerfully as she handed them a chestnut broom each. "I'm not trying to sell you one, I'm here because I remember how much fun go-karts were on my neighbour's birthdays, and brooms aren't that different. So I spent the morning creating this course, which you will race for 40 laps. After that, we can do a few timed laps if you're still up for it."

* * *

The circuit Professor Clearwater had set up was fairly simple. Four hairpins, two long rights, two straights across the pitch, a chicane and some twisty bits to connect it all. Their brooms were pretty slow compared to a Firebolt, which could do 150 flat out, but as most of the course was made out of bends, manoeuvrability was more important than raw speed.

Even Hermione seemed to enjoy it as there were no dives and no aerobics passage. It didn't even matter that she was dead last. Not that the brunette was trying any risky manoeuvres, but after three-quarters of the race, only Harry had lapped her. And that was down to a mad piece of flying in the second to last corner where he did Immelmann turns no one else could pull off. Katie tried twice and both times went wide and off-course. By the time the Chaser had doubled back, even Hermione had slipped past her.

All in all, it was a lot of fun under the pretence of a refresher flying lesson. And before Professor Clearwater could restore the pitch back to its Quidditch configuration, Lee Jordan found them, promptly took his usual seat in the commentator's box and organised races throughout the weekend as more and more students walked over to see what all the fuss was about.

By dinnertime, word had spread to the visiting schools and Gaby ended up challenging Harry to a race. While she was not Viktor Krum, who was not interested in such a trivial contest, the Seeker of the Lithuanian Quidditch Squad facing off against Harry Potter was still a rare occurrence.

Professor Flitwick offered to manage the showdown and led what had to be half of Hogwarts down to the pitch. Due to the late hour, he had to make some changes, which is why the banners and rings were now glowing blue and yellow. To set the mood, he also charmed the magical flood lights red.

From the grass, Harry looked up to the surprisingly large crowd in the stands below. Most of Gryffindor was there, the Weasleys' hair shining like beacons under the enchanted illumination. From his year, he could make out Seamus and Lavender, Dean and Ron as well as Fay and Parvati. And although a good chunk of Ravenclaws was there, their stands were on the far side of the pitch. Therefore, he couldn't find Lisa even if she was up there. Lee was once again back at the magical megaphone and already doing his job.

 _"The competitors line up. On the left side in silver, Harry Potter. I don't think that he needs an introduction. Former Gryffindor Seeker, Harry is probably best known for his performance this year when he secured two spectacular wins in the House Cup."_

Lee's commentary made Harry laugh and then reminded him of the fight he and Katie had with Angelina once she learnt that they had left Gryffindor and wouldn't be allowed to join the Quidditch team next year. It hurt to be called a traitor by someone he had spent three years with, even if he could understand where she was coming from.

 _"I never imagined that I would get to introduce an international Quidditch player, and even though this is not a game of Quidditch, here she is. In the middle, clad in the Lithuanian colours of red and gold, the one who issued the challenge, the Seeker of the Lithuanian National Squad, quarter-finalist of the World Cup and last year's European Youth Champion: Gabija Rimsaité."_

Gaby waved towards the stands with a bright smile as she took her place next to Harry. However, she had also talked another student from Durmstrang into joining them, and he was by no means a nobody.

 _"And on the right, Adrian Chitu. One of the rising stars of the Wallachian League, the beater of Chimera Târgovişte is taking the underdog role in his blue robes. However, his performance has been steady throughout the season and he is poised to join the Wallachian team as soon as Dragavei retires. They are set for twenty laps and just like the other races, they are all on the same broom. But while the Comet 355 had been a solid platform, they are all flying the Firebolt. I think you all remember how easily Potter demolished Slytherin and Ravenclaw while riding it. Now it is a fair fight."_

The magical line Flitwick had created began to blink red, which Harry took as a sign to get ready. There was no House Cup to win, no prizes nor glory, but that didn't mean that he wouldn't give his best. Maybe he could even get Gaby to shut up with the _pointy hat_ jokes. Then the line turned green.

 _"And they are off! Potter slips past as he's the lightest and takes the lead as they fly through the first corner, his line a lot cleaner than the other two. Chitu pulls past Rimsaité but now has the outside track through the goals and it's a back and forth in the slalom. They are even again as they approach the first hairpin. Potter has already pulled ahead and his lead grows quickly. That's some solid flying from him while the other two battle for second place. And look at that speed through the left! There you can really see the difference a Firebolt can make. Potter already through the second hairpin on the straight, Rimsaité ahead for now - "_

At the end of the straight, the wind noise drowned out the commentary as Harry was pushing his broom to its top speed through the banked right behind the goalposts. Next up was the passage which single-handedly had won him the earlier race. Intended to be a tight left which went up twenty yards, Harry had foregone the longer corner in favour of a backwards loop. But now he would have to do it after slowing down over one hundred miles, and rapid decelerations were no fun at all. It was almost impossible to guess the speed when the sticking charms were the only thing keeping him on the broom.

" _And now into Corner Nine, Potter breaks hard. I think that was a little too early - wait, he isn't really going to - Merlin, that's fast through there. Breaking hard for the third hairpin, Potter now with considerable lead as Rimsaité and Chitu go for the normal route through Nine. Chitu now ahead and gets the inside track on the hairpin, pulls away and can block his rival through the chicane. Inches from each apex, there is no way Rimsaité can slip past. Potter already on his second lap as they enter the penultimate corner, a wide left that ends up leading them right."_

Flying the Comet had been fun, but his own broom was a very different beast. At fifty miles per, the course had been entertaining, but not particularly challenging. Trying to squeeze through the same passages at trice the speed was properly exhilarating. Flitwick's enchantments helped to keep track of the course. Even if the glowing hoops and tended to become blurs when going flat out. After three laps, the outside world became an indiscernible muddle of colours.

 _"The Firebolt is so much faster around here. This morning we had times around 1:34, Potter's last lap only took fifty-three seconds, the other two also below one minute. The big question is how fast would Krum be?"_

It became increasingly difficult to stay focused on the next corner as the red floodlights, the yellow markers and the blue rings blurred to one. Harry had flown fast before while diving for the Snitch, but never long enough to feel how exhausting it became. His arms were getting heavier, his core ached and his back felt as if someone had strapped a concrete pillar to it. Across the pitch, he caught glimpses of the Durmstrang students locked into their struggle which slowed them down quite a lot.

" _You can see which difference the racing line makes. Potter is a lot quicker around than the other two as they fight for the second place and often block each other rather than try to be as fast as possible."_

Harry couldn't afford to take his eyes off the next marker and therefore was quite surprised when he saw the backs of the Durmstrang students in the first corner as he came out of the last one. He got closer and, by the time they reached the long straight above the stands, he was in striking distance.

 _"And there comes Potter again, about to lap the other two. He already had a go here this morning and it shows. However, as you can see from the fierce battle between Rimsaité and Chitu, getting past someone is the tricky part. On the straight, Harry can't find a way past his fellow seeker. Dives left but no chance. Now on Chitu's right, approaching the ninth corner. I really hope the course will stay, because I really want to have a go myself. Potter goes for the - "_

* * *

 _" - out - Wait - fine"_ Lee's voice sounded faint like through an old radio as Harry slowly tried to think what was going on. His dinner looking for a way out didn't help either. _" - clipped Chitu's shoulder - stirrup - eight spins - trying to remember which end of the broom is which."_

After what felt like an eternity, the spinning sensation stopped. However, his vision was still blurry and his head felt as if a horde of trolls had used it for step dancing practice. Only then did he realise that he was floating fifty yards above the grass. There were weird, glowing things - The Race!

 _"And Potter is flying again. That doesn't look so good, he's wobbling all over the place. Come on Harry, you're still in the lead! Only three laps to go! The Lithuanian now in front of Chitu as they fly through the goals, solid through the slalom, now on the long left. Now way past her there and - well, that'd do. Rimsaité misses the breaking point and that's all Chitu needs. Now onto the straight."_

Harry didn't feel very well but still tried his best. He couldn't keep his Firebolt flat and level and therefore had to make quite a few turns and corrections which all cost him time. It, therefore, didn't take long for the other two to shoot past him with a significant speed advantage. However, this was all he needed.

Oliver Wood had been quite insistent that his seeker could beat everyone else to the snitch, even after a brutal deadlock, which is why he had forced Harry to run chase drills at the end of their hour-long practices. And those three years of training came in very handy at that moment. He didn't need to worry about the racing line or floating markers. While there was no snitch, all he needed to do was stick to the others and eventually shoot past them. With his eyes locked on the pair in front of his, the hunt was on.

" _And Potter is back into the game. The race is almost over, and I don't think that he can catch up in time, but he doesn't seem to care."_

Harry didn't. The robes of his opponents fluttered in the wind as they dashed through the air at breakneck speed. To him, they were nothing but a red flag waved in front of a bull. And corner by corner, he was closing in.

" _Into the final lap now, and there is still no winner in sight! This is quickly turning into a nailbiter; Rimsaité now five yards ahead, but that is next to nothing."_

He was almost there, and it didn't matter that his vision was blurry or every muscle hurt. All he needed was one last push. Just like against Malfoy earlier this year, all depended on him being the fastest. And if he could beat Malfoy, he could win here as well.

" _Through the last corner, Chitu right behind Rimsaité, but here comes Potter. He didn't look too good a minute ago, but he managed to get back into the race. Now coming onto the final straight, he has to get past Chitu and that didn't work too well last time. They are pushing their brooms to the limit - "_

Harry was right behind Adrian and veered left out of the slipstream. The beater didn't pay him any attention as he was trying to slip past Gaby, and that was the opening he needed. Being the lightest, he had the best acceleration, so he squeezed everything from the Firebolt's enchantments and slowly passed both.

 _" - was close. Potter pulled ahead down the straight, but who was first across the line? My lovely assistant is working her Omnioculars - what do you mean draw? There has to be a winner. Give me that!"_

A wave of noise rose from the stands as people began to discuss the outcome, each offering an opinion on how the race ended and who won. Harry only flinched at the headache the commotion gave him.

 _"This was a clutch finish, but even with the slow-motion instant replay of Alicia's Omnioculars, I can't say who won. But we need a winner!"_

 _"The solution is obvious,_ " Professor Flitwick said as he grabbed the magical megaphone from Lee Jordan. " _We will hold a second race to determine the winner. However, that will have to wait for another day as Mister Potter looks like he needs a visit to the Hospital Wing before he can compete. Miss Bell, Miss Granger, Miss Rivers, if you were so kind as to assist your friend."_

Through the force of habit, Harry landed on wobbly legs and stumbled towards the showers like after a regular match. Everything was spinning, everything was sore and ached and his dinner once more looked for a way out. All while Professor Flitwick was going over his plans for the second race he had apparently been drafted into. Maybe the Hospital Wing was a good idea.

" _This has been very entertaining indeed. For the rematch, there will be a new track so that all competitors are on an even footing. I will have to confer with the Headmaster, but maybe we can incorporate the grounds and not just the Quidditch Pitch. I have an idea where - "_

* * *

Lisa's birthday fell on a Wednesday, but that did not stop Harry from making an elaborate plan. After all, the calendar didn't suddenly shift around and decided that Tuesdays are the new weekend. And his stay in the Infirmary had only been overnight, where a few potions had taken care of his slight whiplash and the sore muscles.

During breakfast, he had his present delivered by a school owl as Hedwig would have drawn too much attention. He tried to see Lisa's reaction, but unfortunately, Wayne Hopkin's head was in the way. Harry had to make do with the bright smile she threw his way as she left the Great Hall for Greenhouse IX.

They both had no lessons in the afternoon, which was when they met up in front of the One-Eyed Witch on the Third Floor. After a few minutes of birthday kisses, Harry smuggled them to Hogsmeade and into Madam Puddifoot's tea shop, where he had arranged a discreet table as they weren't supposed to be in the village. Much to his surprise, the owner had been very eager to set this up. Then again, Lisa was on a first-name basis with the witch, which was why Stella chose to congratulate his girlfriend as she returned with three pots atop tea lights and the cake menu.

"How much do you know about pureblood etiquette?" Harry wanted to know after they placed their order.

"Probably as little as you."

"Well, I got a refresher the other day - "

"Your aunt?"

"Yes. Did you know that it is considered fashionable to wear something that's as close as you can get to black without actually being black," Harry said in a tone usually reserved for clutch Quidditch matches.

"What?"

"You want something that is black but has a colourful shine under the right angle. But that only applies to wizards - the rules for girls are a three-tome series - "

"Do you think I care?"

"I said the same thing - But one custom seemed fitting. The wizard is supposed to buy his companion something to wear for that evening, and since it's your birthday, I got you that something a week earlier."

"The medallion?"

"Yes"

"What's it made from? Silver or stainless steel?"

"The chain is silver and the pendant meteorite iron."

"This - this is from space?" Lisa asked slowly, the coin-sized piece of jewellery frozen between her fingers.

"That's what the jeweller said. I know Astronomy is your favourite subject, but I had no idea what to get you, so I just went to a few shops. I was thinking about something crescent-shaped maybe, but then this caught my fancy - just like you did."

Lisa blinked twice before she dropped her head on his shoulder and repeatedly smacked herself against it with closed eyes. Yet Harry could see her smile, no matter how hard she tried to hide it behind her black hair. And that smile made him feel all kinds of funny.

"For the love of everything that's holy, _please_ stop making such awful jokes."

"I know you like them," Harry teased in a sing-song voice. "But do you like your present?"

"I love it, but this too much. The trip here would have been enough, and the medallion must have been expensive - " Lisa mumbled while she looked at the trapezoid shapes which disturbed the polished silver surface.

"It was a lot cheaper than I'd have thought. Apparently, meteorites are a lot easier to find with summoning charms, so they aren't really expensive in the magical world. And I am supposed to get you something fancy for the ball either way."

"Is that really a pureblood tradition or did you just make that up as a pretense to buy me an expensive present?"

"Well, the tradition says that I was supposed to get you something with my family's arms or colours, but that would have been very - presumptuous."

"Family - oh. Ohhh."

* * *

Despite knowing about magic for four years, Harry routinely found himself astonished by things big and small alike. Seeing a dragon hatch, unicorns, riding Buckbeak, but also ghosts, talking portraits, sentient stairs and secret passages. And now cocoa tea had joined that list. Still warmed by the odd beverage which looked like regular tea but tasted like hot chocolate, Lisa and Harry stepped out of the cosy shop and flinched when a cold gust of wind hit them.

"Do you want to walk back or take the tunnel again?" Harry asked.

"What about the gates? Won't they be locked?" Lisa replied with a questioning look.

"I might have asked Hagrid to forget about them until 8. Of course entirely accidental, you know?"

"Then I'd love to walk. I feel like I'm about to burst after that third piece of cheesecake," Lisa said, stretching her arms above her head.

"Next time you befriend a shopkeeper, try to go for someone who doesn't sell sweets."

"There's always Mister Jones," Lisa joked as they stepped onto one of the smaller footpaths which ran between the village and the castle. That way, they didn't need the invisibility cloak as the patch of conifers was more than enough to shield them from prying eyes.

"Who?"

"The butcher in Darlington. He was just across the street, so Mum started sending me there when I was six. He always gave me something for free."

"Like a slab of meat?" Harry wanted to know as he laughed at the image of a small girl tearing into a raw piece of beef or mutton.

"No you prat, a slice of ham, or maybe the end of a sausage. Didn't you ever - oh."

"Yeah, my relatives tried to keep me hidden away as much as they could."

"How can you be so calm about it?" Lisa wanted to know. "You haven't told me much but I can still tell that they were awful to you."

"I grew up with _them_ , so I got used to it. I found a family who - well - loves me. And knowing that I won't ever see _them_ again certainly helps," Harry replied with a shrug. "But enough of that depressing stuff. Today is your birthday, that should be happy."

"It's bloody cold, that's what it is!" Lisa hissed as the wind picked up in speed. "Thank you for the lovely afternoon, it certainly has been the best one I've had here at Hogwarts. But right now, I'm really regretting that I agreed to the walk."

"I know, my nose is about to fall off. But there is one way we could stay warm - "

"A car? I can't drive, but I could turn on the bloody heater - "

"I was thinking about the traditional way," Harry pointed out and Lisa quickly caught on. Without any hesitation, she leaned into him and grabbed his left hand.

"I can't believe that worked," Harry mumbled to himself, but not quite quietly enough.

"Worked? I'm already your girlfriend, dumbass!"

"I know, but I'm still amazed."

"Well Mr Boyfriend, your plan didn't work because we are both still walking through the glacial wastelands of Antarctica."

"As you might recall, my dear Lady, during our first outing you capsized our boat and were in need of a similar charm - "

"Yes my dashing _git_ , get going before my left arm freezes, falls off and I can beat you to death with it." If looks could kill, Lisa might just have been short of a boyfriend.

One mumbled incantation and a bit of manoeuvring later, and they both enjoyed a toasty breeze which kept them cosy for the most part. Only the odd gusts of wind managed to break through the cushion of warm air which surrounded them. It was a warning that they should hurry up as the weather was taking a turn for the worse. Dark clouds were whipped across the sky by the northwestern gale and slowly replaced the red and yellow hues as the sun approached the horizon.

"I remember asking my grandma why the sky was pink," Lisa said with a distant smile. "I was four or five. She told me that it was due to angels baking Christmas biscuits. I just took her word for it and didn't think about it anymore. Then, maybe half a year later I got really excited because the sky was red again, so obviously there would be cinnamon biscuits. I didn't care that it was August."

"And that's when your world was shattered?"

"No, Mum just gave me some shortbread, which was good enough for five-year-old me. It wasn't until I was in elementary school that I realised they were having me on. I was really mad, but then Marcus gave me another biscuit and everything was fine."

"So if I ever make you mad, all I need is a biscuit?"

"What? NO!" Lisa shouted and slapped Harry's shoulder, although she couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice. Nor did she let go of his hand.

"You're right, you have grown up and aren't as easy to impress anymore. Your standards are much higher now."

"Exactly!"

"Two biscuits."

"Oh you little - Do you have any idea how unfair it is that you are the only source of heat?"

"Yup."

"Keep the warming charm up and I'm perfectly comfortable here. You won't need any biscuits to bribe me," Lisa murmured as they slowly got going again. Even if they were only a mile from Hogwarts, the moment felt very different from their previous outings where they didn't leave the grounds. And the warm feeling in his chest was completely unrelated to any spell work.

"You can't just bribe me with any old biscuits anyway," Lisa continued. "You've got to pick the right ones, or you aren't getting anywhere."

"Oh?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what would they be?"

Lisa just chuckled. "I'm not going to make it that easy for you."

"Rolled oats, chocolate and jam?"

"Yes - I mean no, not at all. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. Totally wrong, worst thought of your life."

* * *

Unfortunately, their date didn't end there. As the sun began to set in the west after what might have been the last sunny day of the year, the tempest picked up in strength and the dark wall on the horizon closed in fast. Too fast.

The first drop fell when they passed Hagrid's hut and by the time they were halfway across the grounds, the rain had grown to a proper downpour. The steep, muddy path up Hogwarts was slick with sleet and in the quickly fading light, the howl of the storm put the pair on edge. The towering, dark trees of the Forbidden Forest to their left didn't help either.

On the spur of the moment, Harry cast a shield charm, which turned out to be a decent makeshift umbrella. It left them exposed to the freezing gale but kept their upper bodies dry and stopped the ice from hitting their faces. But even the enchanted leather jacket he wore beneath his robes struggled to keep the cold at bay, which meant that Lisa had to be two-thirds icicle by now.

"We really have the worst of luck when it comes to our dates." she deadpanned through gritted teeth.

"I wouldn't have suggested the walk if I'd have known about the weather."

"I wouldn't have agreed," Lisa hissed and shivered again. "I'd kill for a big fire right now."

"We could set one of the trees ablaze," Harry shouted over the roaring storm.

"Wood needs to be dry."

"Oh, right. I can see how the rain would make that tricky."

"But only a tiny bit."

"You know McGonagall's favourite, the switching spell?" Harry asked as he had a crazy idea.

"That's from the seventh year, right?"

"Yes. I wonder if you could switch the clouds with the weather from Tahiti or Cuba?"

"With our luck, it would end up being hurricane season over there as well. Maybe I could rig up something with runes -"

"An oven?" Harry suggested. He wouldn't even mind lugging it around if it would keep him warm.

"I'd pay a lot to have my pocket warmer, I've forgotten the ruddy thing in my dorm."

"The one which turned you bed into a fridge? I think I will pass on that."

"I fixed that! Do you have a better idea then?"

"Next time, I'll car - well - carriage-jack one of the enchanted things to get down to the village," Harry replied. "How hard can it be?"

"With our luck, you'd steal the one which is out of magical petrol."

When they made it to the main gates, Harry had to concede that against the might of the first winter storm, his magic didn't stand a chance. They had been battered by the rain, ice pellets and the biting cold for half an hour and came out worse for wear. A lot worse. Soaked shoes and muddy robes were just two of their problems. And even Hogwarts didn't fare much better. The torches outside the entrance hall might have been enchanted to be everlasting, but their flickering light did little to light up the darkness outside and nothing to warm the freezing pair. However, stepping through the gates was like running into a brick wall. What usually was a little cool might have very well been a sauna after what the pair had been through. Anxious to get out of their wet, cold and dirty clothes, Harry and Lisa split up to rush under their hot showers as quickly as possible.

* * *

"After we have covered the Unforgivable Curses, it is time to return to the more mundane. Finnigan, what's the worst curse you know that doesn't guarantee life in Azkaban?"

It might have been the last week before the Christmas break, but such trivialities wouldn't stop Professor Moody from going on about mutilation, murder and malicious spells.

"The bone-liquefying curse."

"Not bad, you've done your homework. Dunbar?"

"Blood to acid - "

"That's a transfiguration, not a curse," Moody barked. "Granger?"

"I have read about a spell which alters the victims' memories so that they believe their family to be mortal enemies."

"Nasty, but you are all WRONG. The unseen curse is the deadliest. You don't need to dissolve someone from the inside or have their bones explode into a thousand pieces when a simple cutting charm can be enough. THAT is why you have to remain VIGILANT! I have seen many promising Auror recruits die because they dropped their guard. In a perfect world, none of you would have to worry about that, but as you saw during the World Cup, scum doesn't care if you wear red robes or not," the former Auror said and, for the third time that month, painted them a thoroughly unpleasant and explicit picture of what a dark wizard was capable of.

"Granger, which spell would you use a duel?"

"Fletcher outlined three forms of the - "

"I like the way you are thinking girl, come see me after the lesson - Potter, your choice?"

"The blasting curse, Sir," Harry replied instantly. While Andi had given him a book about all kinds of spells he could use, there was only one which he could cast in his sleep. And getting there had been a long road.

"Simple, but effective as it is difficult to shield against. Parkinson?"

"The stunning spell."

"An answer straight from the Ministry's guidebook. I bet your father taught you darker spells as well. After all, both of his brothers were involved in the Fairburn attacks. Malfoy, what did your _upstanding_ father teach you?"

* * *

"So, what did Moody want from you?" Harry asked once Hermione made it back to their new common room. Compared to the one in the Gryffindor Tower, it was tiny and lacked the stunning view across the grounds, but it had more comfortable armchairs and wasn't up a dozen flights of stairs.

"He told me to learn that curse until January. If I managed to learn it silently, it would count as the final exam for the entire year. But silent casting is a NEWT skill - "

"It's not that difficult, you just have to cast the spell a lot. Eventually, it will become easier and you won't need the incantation anymore."

"How often?" Hermione wanted to know with

"Well, it took me two weeks for two spells - "

"Two weeks? If you cast only five spells each minute for three hours, that's 900 curses a day, 6300 casts - and probably you can manage a lot more - God, that has to be boring."

"It is. Well, until you get to the point where you get a hang on the silent casting, but that's only good for about thirty minutes before you're bored again."

"Great, just what I needed as a holiday assignment."

"Don't worry, once you've figured out the first spell, it gets easier."

"I only need to learn one spell."

"Oops. But while you're going to be busy, I'm looking forward to being back in Kent," Harry replied smugly before his smile fell. "And a trip to Darlington."

"Oh?"

"Harry has been invited to meet his girlfriend's mother and her step-father," Katie threw in from next to the fireplace and laughed at his worried expression. "Look at him, he is more afraid of two adults who can't even curse him than of the bloody, fire-spitting dragon."

"I wasn't trying to make a good impression with that beast."

"You expect her step-father to welcome you while greasing a shotgun like in a bad movie?"

"Well, no, but - "

"And you have been a proper gentleman, right?"

"We haven't - I haven't even seen - well - " Harry stuttered in response to Leanne's questions and quickly gave beetroots a run for their money when it came to shades of red. "Why are you all interrogating me? Is this Hogwarts or the Ministry's holding cells?"

"Because only you and Hermione have a date, and she isn't talking about hers."

"Yes, yes, her big mystery date."

"Are you saying that I can't get a date?" Hermione challenged, sounding more hostile than Harry had expected.

"No, I'm saying that given how much time we spent together, I think I would have noticed if you had a boyfriend."

"Because you spent so much time with Justin when he was dating Leanne, right?"

"They were an item for what - a week?"

"A month," the former Hufflepuff threw in with a faux smile and plopped down on the armchair next to Katie. "And he had been interested for much longer, but you didn't notice that either."

"Well, how am I supposed to spend time with your mysterious boyfriend if you won't even tell me who it is?" Harry shot back when he couldn't come up with a good reply.

"You will find out - in two weeks," Hermione cackled. "Trust me when I say that we have spent a lot of time together. Well, we did before I had to fight those idiots who were " _envious_ ", to quote McGonagall."

"I'm sorry that I inconvenienced your dating life by getting assaulted."

"You better be," Hermione replied with her nose struck high until Leanne smacked them both with a toss pillow. And then once more for good measure.

"At least you both have someone special to go with. My dating plans died when I had to dump Justin because this entire mess made him a prat. I'll just hang out with Katie and hope that the twins can smuggle enough Ogden's Old into the ballroom - What, do you honestly think that they won't do it?"

"No, but I wouldn't discuss my illicit drinking plans when our teacher is standing in the door," Hermione pointed out dryly.

"If you don't mention which twins you are talking about, I can claim plausible deniability, " Professor Clearwater blurted out before choosing a serious tone. "But be careful with spirits, especially when mixed with something fruity. You won't notice the alcohol at first, so you drink another one before it kicks you in the head and next thing you know, you're hugging the throne. It's no fun, believe me."

* * *

"Shut the trapdoor behind you, will you? Don't jump off the tower and don't get pregnant. If you get caught out of bounds, that's your problem. Goodnight."

"Good - Goodnight, Professor," Harry said to no one as their teacher had already left the classroom. Slowly, he let his eyes wander across the empty tables and chairs, the star charts and telescope stands, over the blackboard and onto his girlfriend. "Did Sinistra really just leave us here alone?"

"She knows that I like to look at the stars. I was in her Astronomy club last year when she didn't have to do the coordination with Beauxbaton," Lisa replied confidently before her expression dropped a bit. "She is also mad at the 3rd-year Ravenclaws for what they did to the Lovegood girl. Professor Sinistra didn't tell me much, but apparently she's looking through every rule in the book to get two of Lovegood's former roommates expelled."

"Expelled?"

"I don't know what happened, but it has to be bad if she's trying to get third years thrown out."

"Still, to leave us alone? Here? Well, this place has a reputation - "

"Ah yes, the infamous Astronomy Tower, where everyone and their mother are shagging," Lisa laughed as she transfigured a roll of parchment into a rather crude blanket and sat down. "They're all talking shit. You need a key to open the door from below and another one to get on the roof. No one gets atop of it without Sinistra knowing. Mind you - the enchanted ceiling is wicked, but that's not what everyone is bragging about."

"Is it the same as in the Great Hall?" Harry wanted to know as he sat down next to her. Truth be told, he had never thought much about it.

"No, the one in the Great Hall is enchanted to show you how the sky looks like atop of it. This one shows you which stars and planets you could see if the sky was perfectly clear. For example, over there you have Mercury and - " What followed was Harry's second astronomy lesson of the night. Not that he particularly cared about the subject, but Lisa was adorable whenever she went on about something she liked. It didn't even matter that he only understood half of the words she said. " - and while my aunt's has a much better magnification, magical telescopes are enchanted to remove atmospheric interference and light pollution. It's not as bad in Durham as in London, but you can see so much more up here - You're not listening, are you?"

"Sorry, you lost me somewhere between Mars and Vega."

"So you were listening - a bit."

"I tried, but it was a long day you look cute when you talk about Runes or Astronomy. You get that blush - "

"Shuuut uuuuupppp," Lisa whined but there was no venom in her words. In fact, she shuffled across the blanket, placed her hands around his neck and pulled him closer for a soft kiss. Although Harry was sure that the placement of her knee wasn't accidental.

* * *

 **AN:**

Beta'ed by LifeEquals42.

I know it's been a long time, so have a long chapter. In fact, the longest so far. Mostly wrapping up earlier threads, a bit of fluff and a bit of relationship development.

Next Chapter: The Yule Ball, Christmas and maybe the prelude to the second task. We are now nearly 95k words in, but I think that the second half of the fourth year will be over much faster as there are just two stations of canon I will include. And remember, this story is 100% guaranteed free of graveyard scenes. This was one of the cornerstones I decided on more than a year ago and I stand by this. I'm not going to write a massively different 4th year only to have it end the same way as in canon.


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